Spirit From Within
by firegirl131
Summary: It has been a month since Talpa has been destroyed and peace was returned. However, that peace is ruined when the Dynasty comes back and the Ronin Warriors are called to save the city again. But this time, they have a new warrior helping them out. Will this new warrior be able to bring the guys together as a team and help Ryo come to his senses? Sequel to Never Alone.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! Sorry it took so long to upload the sequel to Never Alone but life happens. Plus, it took a while to finish the other fanfics I've been working on. Now, on with the story! I hope you like it.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 1

It had been a month since Talpa had been destroyed and peace returned to the city. The people lived peaceful lives except for a few robberies and high speed chases but other than that, life was pretty simple.

The Ronin Warriors were doing well also. They had taken residence at Mia's mansion and they were able to relax without worrying about the Dynasty attacking them. Everyone seemed happy and peaceful. Well, not all of them were good. Still with the death of Maria on his mind, Ryo can't get over the fact that his friend is dead. It was his duty as a Ronin Warrior to protect everyone from Talpa. He felt like he had failed at his job at being a warrior and a friend.

The other Ronin Warriors had tried to reassure Ryo that Maria's death wasn't his fault and that she's in a better place now but Ryo wouldn't hear of it. The others have avoided talking about Maria around Ryo, especially since he almost exploded in rage at Kento, who had said something about how Maria's death was ironic. If the other Ronins hadn't of calmed Ryo down, Kento probably would have gotten more than a punch in the face.

Mia could sense what was happening with the group. They were slowly falling apart and it was a good thing that there were no enemies that they had to fight. Or so she thought.

* * *

Rays of sunlight peeped out from over the trees as the sun rose into the sky. The streams of light shown through the curtains of Ryo's room, waking the warrior up. He sat up in bed, shifting his leg so that it was bent and then draped his arm over his knee. _Another sleepless night,_ Ryo thought to himself. Even after a month, Ryo still had dreams of Maria dying by Talpa. But this dream was different. In the last dream he had, Ryo was fighting against Talpa alongside a young woman in an armor that was different from the Ronins' armor. Ryo was trying to make sense of the dream that he had when he felt something nudge his arm and he looked down to see White Blaze staring at him. Ryo smiled at the tiger then started scratching the animal behind the ears, making the tiger purr in content. Ryo glanced at his window and stared outside. _Why do I have this feeling that something is going to happen?_

* * *

Out in the city, Sage and Rowen had just finished their routine check. About a few days ago, the Ronin Warriors felt uneasy, like something was going to happen. They started doing checks around and in the city, to make sure there weren't any Dynasty soldiers or any enemies like that around.

"Nothing new," Rowen said. "I didn't see anything from the Dynasty." He turned to Sage. "Did you?"

Sage shook his head. "No, I didn't, but I still can't shake this feeling that something is going to happen."

"I hear you, Sage." The two started walking towards the Jeep to head back to the mansion to give the others their report. "Sage, what are we going to do when there is an attack? Ryo's not really being himself as of late."

Sage sighed. Most of the guys thought that Ryo would be over Maria's death in a week or two but Ryo still can't accept the fact that she's gone. What was worse was that there was tension in the group and it wouldn't be long until the tension broke and everything would go to hell.

"I really don't know, Rowen," Sage answers. "I just hope that Ryo gets his act together soon."

"Yeah, he needs to."

The two got in the Jeep, with Rowen sitting in the driver's seat and Sage in the passenger seat. Neither of them noticed the armored soldier standing on top of a building, staring at the Jeep driving away from the city.

* * *

Back at the mansion, Mia was typing away on her computer, looking up information on the white armor. This new armor was new to everyone but what they all now was that the white armor took a lot of energy from all the guys. Most of them slept for a few days but Ryo was the one that was out the longest. Since he wore the armor, Ryo rested more than the others, sleeping for most of the day and only getting up to use the bathroom or to eat. From this, Mia looking up information on the white armor and tried to see what gives this armor so much power to drain the guys to make them so exhausted. However, the only thing that Mia was able to find was that the white armor was called the armor of Inferno and that the armor was formed by combining the five armor powers of the Ronin Warriors.

"Hey Mia, when is dinner?"

Mia snapped her head up from the computer screen to stare at Kento, who was standing in the doorway. It was then Mia realized that it was almost six. "Sorry, Kento. I've been really busy," Mia said, slowly standing up. "I'll go start dinner."

"No, you sit down," Cye said, walking in. "I'll go make dinner. Plus, it'll give Sage and Rowen time to get back."

Mia gave Cye a grateful smile. "Thanks, Cye."

Cye smiled and then nodded as he left the room, with Kento following close behind. "Kento, I swear-" but the threat died away as the two walked downstairs. Mia smirked, shaking her head. She had known that Kento has a big appetite but she didn't know that Kento would steal food. Kento never stole food from Mia but whenever Cye made lunch or dinner, Kento would try to steal food from him and it usually made Cye pretty mad at him.

Mia sat back down in her seat, typing away on her computer. A knock sounded at the door a few minutes later and Mia looked up, seeing Ryo at the doorway. "Hi Ryo. Do you need something?"

"I was actually going to ask when dinner is but I heard Cye say he's making it," explained Ryo. "Hey, what are you doing on the computer?"

"I'm trying to look up information of the white armor to see if there's anything about why it drained you guys so much."

"Did you find anything?"

"No, not really. I just know that whenever you use the white armor, it's going to take a toll on all of you so you're going to have to rest after each time." Mia was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine, Mia. I got plenty of rest so-"

"No, I mean…are you still recovering?"

Ryo was confused by this question until he realized what Mia meant by that question. He sighed and leaned against the door, pondering over the question.

"Ryo, I don't think you should keep these feelings inside. I'm here if you just want to talk and-"

"Mia, I'm fine," Ryo snapped at her. He then walked out of the room.

Mia sighed then turned her attention back to the computer. She knew Ryo and Maria seemed close but she didn't think they were _that_ close. Mia always wondered if something happened when Ryo went to comfort Maria about admitting her abusive past but Ryo never told them. She just hoped that Ryo will say something soon. She didn't know why, but Mia had a bad feeling that something was going to happen.

* * *

Rowen drove along the backroad, happy that traffic wasn't that bad and that he was able to get on and off the highway without having to stop for something. Both Sage and Rowen were surprised by the light traffic and knew that they would be home sooner than they expected.

"I can't believe traffic wasn't that bad," commented Rowen as he drove down the backroad.

"Yeah, but we did miss the rush hour," Sage said.

"True." Rowen glanced at the clock on the dashboard and his eyes widen. "Wow, I can't believe how late it is."

Sage turned to the clock and he too widen his eyes, but only slightly. "We were out late." Sage turned towards Rowen, a smirk playing on his lips. "Do you think Kento ate all the food and didn't leave any for us?"

"No, I don't think the others would let Kento eat all of the food before we got home."

"What if they thought that we already got dinner?"

Rowen was about to respond when a lighting both hit the road in front of them. Rowen swerved away from the bolt, barely missing it, and then stopped the car. He and Sage got out, staring at the spot the bolt struck. "You saw that too, right?" Rowen asked Sage.

"I did, yeah," answered Sage.

Suddenly, thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance and the two warriors looked up, watching as dark clouds moved towards them. Thunder rumbled again and then lighting struck the ground a few feet before the two. A Dynasty gate rose from the ground where the lighting had struck.

"What's a Dynasty gate doing here?" Rowen asked, his eyes wide at the site.

"All the gates should be closed," agreed Sage.

An evil laugh filled the air as the gate creaked open, letting out some black smoke. When the smoke cleared, a dark blue armored foe stood before Rowen and Sage, carrying a spear with a large blade at the end. The armored foe had on a white mask with black markings over where his eyes were, making the expression of his face seem sinister.

"Who are you?" Sage asked.

"My name is Saranbo. I'm actually quite impressed that you, Ronin Warriors, were able to defeat Talpa. But I'm even more impressed by the armor which defeated him." Saranbo lowered his weapon, pointing it at the two Ronins. "Now, which one of you has it? Tell me!"

"Like we're going to tell you," Rowen said, putting on his sub-armor with Sage following suit.

"Don't underestimate me, Ronins. My powers are greater than Talpa."

"We're not afraid of scum like you." Rowen and Sage charged at Saranbo but Saranbo moved so fast that it seemed like Rowen and Sage went straight through him. Saranbo laughed then raised his spear and started attacking the two Ronins, slashing them in the back. The two screamed in pain but it was increased when they felt electricity run through their bodies. Saranbo stood in front of them, his eyes glowing blue as the electricity shot out, shocking the guys. He then checked Rowen and Sage's armor but Saranbo was unsatisfied by what he saw.

"Neither of you has the armor I crave," stated Saranbo. "I must keep searching." He released the two and they fell to the ground. Rowen and Sage slowly sat up, panting heavily as they tried to catch their breath. They both shared a look as they realized what was going on. A new Dynasty warrior was in the mortal and he's after Ryo's white armor. The only problem: Ryo still isn't acting like himself.

* * *

 **Will Ryo get his act together and help his friends defeat this new enemy? Find out in the next chapter! Please leave a review. Bye! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's been a while. School has kept me in its grip for quite some time. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Kento huffed in annoyance as he stared out the window. "Why do we have to wait?" Kento whined. "I'm starving!"

"Calm down, Kento," said Cye. "They probably got stuck in traffic and they're probably off the highway right about now."

Kento groaned as he leaned his head against the wall. Ryo chuckled at Kento then shook his head at him. He had to admit that he was getting hungry because the scent of Cye's meal wafted into the living and it was making Ryo's stomach growl. At least he had more self-control than Kento did.

"They are taking a long time though," stated Mia. "Are you sure they're ok?"

"I'm pretty sure they're fine, Mia," reassured Cye. "It's not like they got into a fight or anything."

The front door burst opened a moment and Rowen and Sage rushed in, still wearing their sub-armor.

"Spoke too soon," Cye muttered to himself.

"What happened?" Ryo demanded, getting up from the couch.

"We were attacked by a Dynasty soldier named Saranbo," explained Rowen.

Everyone was speechless, staring at Sage and Rowen with wide eyes. Mia was the first to break the silence. "What?"

"The Dynasty is back?!" Kento exclaimed.

"I don't think the entire Dynasty is back, but when we were on our way home, lightning almost hit us. We stopped the car, got out, then saw dark clouds heading towards us. Another lightning bolt struck the ground but this time, a Dynasty gate appeared," explained Sage. "That's when Saranbo came out, demanding the white armor."

"He wants the white armor?" asked Cye, turning to look at Ryo as did everyone else. Ryo seemed in to be in his own little world, not really paying attention. He didn't know what to think of this situation or how the Dynasty could have come back. Ryo was snapped back to his senses by White Blaze nudging his hand.

"Did Saranbo say why he wants it?" Ryo asked Sage.

"He just said that the white armor has a lot of power and that he wants it for his own. He didn't give a reason as to why but I'm assuming so that he can use the armor for his own intentions."

"This Saranbo must know how strong the white armor is if he wants the armor so badly," assumed Mia.

"He does, so that means you are Saranbo's target," Rowen told Ryo.

Ryo narrowed his eyes. "Well, let's give him what he wants."

"We're going after him?" Kento asked, a smirk playing on his lips which widen when Ryo nodded in confirmation.

"Ryo, are you sure about this?" Mia asked.

"It's been a month, Mia, I'm good to fi-"

"She isn't talking about if you're well rested," interrupted Sage, taking a step towards Ryo. "She means if-" Sage was interrupted by White Blaze growling. The tiger stared at the window, barring his teeth.

"White Blaze?" asked Ryo. The tiger charged outside, almost breaking the door down. "White Blaze!" The Ronins followed the tiger outside, with Ryo, Cye, and Kento putting on their sub-armor. The five stood behind White Blaze, who was glaring at the warrior standing only a few feet away from them.

The warrior was wearing a dark purple under armor with a black armor hugging the warrior's torso, a series of clamps holding the armor in place. Black knee guards complimented the armor as well as armored gloves that went up to the elbows. There were also shoulder clamps that were clamped onto the armor with a chest plate connected. A black mask covered the warrior's nose and mouth, revealing a pair of sapphire eyes. The warrior had on black armored boots with a cape attached around the neck, a hood draped over the warrior's head. In its right hand, the warrior held a silver bow tightly in its grasp. All the armored pieces had silver accents which made the warrior look majestic but also dangerous at the same time.

"Is this Saranbo?" Kento asked, preparing to fight.

"No, that's not Saranbo," answered Sage. "I don't know who this person is."

"Who are you?" Ryo demanded.

The warrior continued to stare at the Ronins, not saying a word. White Blaze took a threatening step towards the warrior as he lowered himself to the ground, readying himself to pounce. The warrior glance down at the tiger then knelt down, holding out its hand. White Blaze took another step, his teeth still barred when he looked into the warrior's eyes. The tiger stared into the person's eyes and started calming down. White Blaze didn't know why, but something was telling him that this person wasn't their enemy. The warrior took this as a sign that the tiger trusted him and started petting the animal, which White Blaze seemed to allow.

"Does White Blaze usually do this to people he doesn't know?" Kento muttered to Ryo.

"No, I've never seen this happen before," answered Ryo.

"What if this person's controlling White Blaze?"

The warrior glanced up at the Ronins then stood up, taking a few steps away from White Blaze, who stared at him before walking back over to Ryo. Ryo rested his hand upon White Blaze's head as he stared at the warrior.

"I'm guessing this guy isn't our enemy," assumed Sage.

"Maybe he's going to help us defeat Saranbo," suggested Cye.

The warrior raised his hand, slowly shaking his head. "Don't," came a muffled reply. "You are not ready."

"What do you mean we're not ready?!" Kento exclaimed.

"You're not ready to fight. You won't be able to handle the power of the Inferno armor." The warrior then disappeared into thin air.

"Come back here!"

"Just drop it, Kento," said Sage.

"What did he mean by 'we're not ready'?" asked Rowen.

"Does that guy not know who we are? We are the Ronin Warriors; we can handle anything that comes our way."

"I don't know. Saranbo kicked our asses much easier than the Warlords did," said Sage.

Rowen turned towards Ryo. "What do we do?"

Ryo narrowed his eyes in thought, processing over what the warrior had said. How could this person know that they weren't ready for something? It's not like he was there when-

Ryo shook these thoughts from his head; his mind was made. "We go after Saranbo." He then proceeded to tell his friends the plan of how to beat Saranbo.

* * *

Ryo, Cye, and Kento were standing in the spot Sage and Rowen said they saw Saranbo appeared. Now, the trio were just waiting for Saranbo to appear so that Sage and Rowen can ambush him from the forest, where the two had their full armor on. Ryo kept on thinking about what the warrior had told him. _You're not ready to fight. You won't be able to handle the power of the Inferno armor._ Those words kept on replaying in Ryo's mind as he tried to figure out what the warrior meant.

"Ryo?" Cye asked, snapping Ryo out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"You all right? You seem distance."

Ryo took a deep breath then let it out, trying to calm himself down. He's getting really tired of everyone asking him if he was ok. He can't understand why everyone can't take 'I'm fine' for an answer. "Like I said earlier, Cye; I'm fine. Now can you _please_ stop asking me that question?"

Cye looked at Kento and the two shared a look. After this was over, they needed to talk to Ryo about how he was acting and that he needed to improve his attitude.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled as dark clouds slowly started forming around the trio. Before they knew it, Saranbo appeared before them, staring down at them. "One of you has my armor," he declared. "Step up and fight me."

"Fight us and find out," said Cye.

"Yeah, you think we're going to tell you?" taunted Kento.

Saranbo laughed as he disappeared into thin air, his laughter fading off in the distance. The Ronins looked around, trying to figure out where he went, when a shadow loomed over, staring down at them.

"Ryo, Cye, Kento, he's behind you!" Rowen exclaimed, running out of the forest with Sage.

They turned around, barely avoiding the blade that was aimed for their heads. "Tell me who has the Inferno armor now!" demanded Saranbo.

Rowen grabbed an arrow and placed it in his bow, drawing it back. Power started to build, forming at the point of the arrow. "Arrow Shock Wave!" Rowen released the arrow which turned into a comet as it flew towards Saranbo.

Sage raised his nodaci above his head as power from his armor flowed into the sword as it light up. "Thunder Bolt Cut!" Sage swiped his sword across his chest and the power released from the nodaci, combining with Rowen's sure-kill, and the two sure-kills struck Saranbo head on. The force of the sure-kills blew apart the surrounding forest, branches and dirt flew past the guys as they stood their ground. After everything settled, the Ronins stood at the spot Saranbo was at.

"Did we get him?" Kento asked.

"Guess again, Ronins."

Electricity struck the Ronins, making them scream in pain as Saranbo appeared before them. He checked Cye and Kento's armor but didn't find the armor he craved. He looked over at Ryo, checking his armor. His eyes lit red then pressed the tip of the blade against Ryo's throat. "Give me the Inferno armor and I'll let you live," threatened Saranbo.

"Go to hell," spat Ryo.

Saranbo increased the electricity, making Ryo screaming even louder which made the Ronins flinch at their friend's screams. "Give me the armor!" Saranbo raised his weapon and struck Ryo in the chest, making him fall back and he was released from the hold of the electricity. Ryo slowly stood up, facing Saranbo, and then called up his armor. The armor of Wildfire appeared on Ryo and then he took out his katanas. "If you think that armor can defeat me, you are mistaken. Hand the armor over to me and I'll leave you be."

"Never. I'm a Ronin Warrior." Ryo crossed the katanas. "And I protect the world from demons like you."

Saranbo's eyes glowed red. "Really? What about the girl that worked for Talpa?"

Ryo's eyes flashed with anger as he charged at Saranbo. However, Saranbo was expecting this so he struck Ryo with his blade, sending the Ronin flying into a rock wall. Ryo let out a gasp of pain, momentarily stunned as Saranbo took a step closer to him. "If you won't give me the armor, then I'll have to eliminate you and take the armor." Saranbo raised his spear and struck Ryo with it, slashing him everywhere which made Ryo scream in pain whenever the blade struck him. The other Ronins wanted to help Ryo but they couldn't escape from the hold of the electricity.

Saranbo slashed Ryo across the chest but when he did, Ryo's armor started glowing and a white light appeared before the demon. "What?!"

The powers of the other four Ronin Warriors flew towards Ryo, bathing him in intense heat. The armor of Wildfire disappeared from Ryo as the white armor of Inferno took its place. Ryo stood before Saranbo in the white armor as the demon stared at the Ronin with awe.

"So, this is the white armor that defeated Talpa."

Ryo put his twin katanas together and then started twirling them. He could almost feel his swords breaking from the sheer power the white armor gave off. "Flare Up Now!" Ryo released the immense fire onto Saranbo and he was engulfed in the flames which then shot up and headed towards the sky. Once the fire died down, Saranbo was nowhere to be seen and a huge crater was in the demon's place. The electricity faded from the other Ronins and they were released, collapsing to the ground. Fire surrounded Ryo as the white armor disappeared and the armor of Wildfire once again appeared on him. Ryo started to fall over but White Blaze leapt over, stopping in front of his master so that he could catch Ryo on his back. Ryo collapsed on the tiger's back and White Blaze looked back at his owner to see that he had passed out.

"How are we going to get back?" Cye asked, sounding out of breath. "None of us could probably last the walk back."

As if on cue, a red Jeep pulled up and Mia got out, heading over to assist the guys.

* * *

On a cliff many feet above the road, Saranbo stared down at the Ronins and Mia. "So, Wildfire has the white armor and he and the other Ronin Warriors can't fight in their state. It would be easy to take the white armor now." Saranbo lowered his weapon towards Ryo but before he could do anything, he felt something go through his stomach. He looked down to see a katana sticking out of his stomach. As Saranbo tried to process what happened, another katana was positioned at his neck.

"Go back to hell, demon," a muffled voice said and then the katana cut off Saranbo's head. Black smoke shot out of the armor as it collapsed to the ground and the warrior stood over Saranbo's corpse. The warrior pulled the katana out of the armor then looked at the Ronin Warriors, watching as they got in the Jeep and headed back to the mansion. "I did warn them."

"I know you did," another voice said as another armored soldier stepped into the shadows. This soldier had on a dark blue armor with a yellow breastplate and a green and red cape attached to the breastplate. It had on a white face mask with a yellow helmet. Beside him stood a black tiger with a white armor, similar to that of the Inferno armor, on it with two swords attached to the armor.

"They were barely able to defeat Saranbo until they combined their powers to form the white armor." The warrior took off the hood and long blonde hair blew out from the wind, coming to rest at the middle of the warrior's back. A hand reached up, pulling down the mask as the warrior turned to look at the soldier. "Saber Stryke, you have been with my family for generations and you have protected me like my parents asked you. I ask you to help me with this task."

The soldier, Saber Stryke, knelt before the warrior. "I will follow whatever orders you give me, my Priestess."

* * *

 **Who is this Priestess and why is Saber Stryke hanging around her? Yes, the warrior is in fact a woman. Also, Saber Stryke is going to be somewhat good. I say somewhat for he basically only listens to the Priestess.** **If you couldn't get an image of the Priestess's armor, look up Skyrim Nightingale Armor for women. That's the armor the Priestess wears.**

 **I'll try to have the next chapter up soon so please leave a review. Bye :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it's been a while but life has taken hold of me and I just needed some time for myself. So to make it up, I have two chapters for you. I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 3

A few days had passed since the battle with Saranbo and the Ronins were slowly recovering from it. They were still exhausted by the sheer power the white armor took from all of them but, just like the battle with Talpa, Ryo was the one that took the longest to recover. While the guys were good in a couple of days, Ryo took twice as long to regain the energy he had lost from the battle with Saranbo. So while Ryo slept, the others talked amongst themselves, trying to decide when to talk to Ryo about his mood. They knew that they had to let Ryo get this off his chest before anything else happened.

* * *

One late afternoon, Ryo was sitting beside a lake, watching the lake glisten in the sunlight. White Blaze sat beside him as Ryo absentmindedly stroked the tiger's fur. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the sound of a skateboard heading towards him. Ryo looked up to see Yulie heading over towards him and a smile spread across his face.

"Ryo!" Yulie greeted, getting off the skateboard and walked over towards him.

"Hey, Yulie. How have you been?"

"Good, it's been kind of boring the past couple of weeks."

Ryo chuckled.

"What are you doing out here? And why aren't you with the guys?"

"I've just…been thinking things over."

Yulie nodded and was about to ask another question when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes. "Hey, guys!"

"Yulie!" Kento exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. "How you doing, buddy?"

"I'm fine, but I've been bored."

"Not much excitement going on around you, huh?"

Yulie smiled as he chuckled.

"Yulie, could you go inside with Mia." Rowen suggested, but it came out like a demand. "We need to talk to Ryo."

Ryo's eyes narrowed and Yulie's smile faded away as he looked between Ryo and the guys. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine, Yulie," reassured Cye. "But we just need to talk to Ryo. We'll be back inside in a few minutes."

"Ok," Yulie said, but he sounded very unsure. Yulie slowly started walking towards the mansion as he kept on glancing back at the guys. White Blaze got up and he walked over to Yulie, lightly nudging him along and the two disappeared into the mansion.

"What do we need to talk about?" Ryo started after a few minutes of silence.

"It's about your attitude," answered Sage.

"My what?"

"Ryo, you have been kind of distance and moody since Maria died. You won't let us in and you keep on pushing us away," explained Rowen.

"We're your friends, Ryo," said Cye, giving him a small smile. "You can talk to us."

"I'm fine," Ryo mumbled.

"Stop saying that!" exclaimed Kento. "We know that you are not fine. You keep on holding this in and I really think you need to tell one of us how you're doing before you do something stupid."

Ryo took a deep breath then let it out. He walked past the guys then started running towards the forest.

"Ryo, wait!" called Rowen but Ryo was already gone.

* * *

Saber Stryke watched Ryo run through the forest from his spot on the cliff. "He's away from the group, my Priestess," informed Saber Stryke. "Should we attack now?"

"No," answered the Priestess, standing by Saber Stryke. "I will face him myself so I can get a taste of his power. Also, I want to see his swords."

"Why?"

"I just have this feeling that something might be wrong with them so I want to take a closer look at them."

"I see. What do you want me to do, my Priestess?"

The Priestess is quiet for a moment. "Nothing, yet. Just stay here until I get back."

Saber Stryke nodded. "Yes, my Priestess."

* * *

Ryo was standing by a group of trees, trying to clear his head from what his friends said. It was true that he was pushing them away but he didn't think they would understand what he's going through. Ryo felt really close with Maria. It was nothing really romantic but more in a brother-sister way. The kiss the two shared in his dream was surprising but he couldn't say anything about it now that she's dead. Ryo rested his head against a tree and closed his eyes. He really didn't know what to do now.

Soft laughter filled the air and Ryo pushed himself away from the tree as he put on his sub-armor.

"I see that you have not let go of the past."

Ryo turned around to see the Priestess standing behind him. "Hello, Ryo of the Wildfire."

"How do you know who I am? I have never seen you before and the only time I have, you warned me not to fight Saranbo."

"That is true that we have never really met, but I know you and the other Ronin Warriors."

"What are you doing here?"

"I want to test your armor."

"Why?"

The Priestess chuckled. "What's wrong? Are you scared to fight me?"

Ryo narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not. Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!" Cherry blossoms surrounded Ryo as his armor appeared on him. He then grabbed the hilt of his katanas and withdrew them from their holder.

"Very good. You have past the first test."

"Test? What test?"

"You have showed me your armor and, more importantly, your swords."

"What do my swords have to do with this?"

"All in good time, Wildfire."

"Since I did one of your tests, you should do one of mine."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"Tell me who you are."

The Priestess is silent for a moment. "For now, you can call me Senshi."

"That doesn't tell me anything."

"Yes it does. The name means 'warrior'."

"It doesn't tell me your name, though."

"My name is of no importance."

"So you can know my name but I can't know yours."

"That's enough talk." Senshi pointed the katanas at Ryo. "Fight me, Wildfire."

Ryo held his katanas up, taking a small step forward. Senshi stared at him as she side-stepped to the left. The two stared at each other, taking small side steps, no one making the first move. That was until Ryo made the first move, charging at Senshi. Ryo swiped his sword at Senshi but she held up her sword, keeping Ryo's katana from striking her. Senshi used the hilt of her other katana to hit Ryo in the chin then pushed him back. She twirled the katanas in her hands then struck Ryo with them but he held up his katanas to block the attack. Senshi smirked underneath the mask then went on the offensive, swinging her katanas at Ryo as he blocked them. That was the only thing Ryo could do as he backed away from Senshi's advances.

"You are weak," said Senshi. "You are not as strong as you used to be."

"What are you talking about?" Ryo let out as he blocked another swing to his face.

Senshi brought both her swords down on Ryo and he blocked them. She then leaned in towards Ryo and said, "You have not let go of the past. You are still trapped in the moment of losing your friend."

Ryo swung his fist at Senshi, punching her in the jaw. Senshi stumbled back as she lost her hood along the way. Ryo raised his katana to strike but when Senshi looked up at him, Ryo froze in place. With the hood down, Ryo saw that Senshi wasn't a man like he thought. Instead, Senshi was a girl.

"You're a…girl?" Ryo said, but it came out like a question.

Senshi's eyes narrowed as she twirled her katanas and hit them at Ryo, the force of which knocked the swords out of his hands. She then got down to the ground and quickly swiped her leg out, taking out Ryo's legs from beneath him. Ryo fell to the ground and Senshi quickly got up, pressed her foot on top of Ryo's chest, and pointed her sword at his throat. She glared at Ryo with piercing blue eyes as her hair hung around her head like a curtain.

"I may be a woman, Wildfire, but I can end your life without a second thought," Senshi threatened.

"So why don't you?" challenged Ryo.

Senshi continued to glare at Ryo before slowing removing the sword from his throat. "Because you are needed." She walked away from Ryo then over to his swords, picking them up. Senshi looked at them, almost like inspecting them. "There was a reason why I wanted to see your swords, and it's because of this." Senshi showed Ryo his katanas which had small cracks in both of the swords. "If you continue to use these, the swords will fail you."

Ryo couldn't believe what he saw. His swords of Wildfire were cracked and it wouldn't be long before they broke on him. "You're saying that if I use them again, they will break?"

"No, not when you use them with the armor of Wildfire. However, they will break the next time you put on the armor of Inferno." Senshi threw the swords at Ryo, who was able to catch them. "The swords cannot handle the power of the Inferno armor. They absorb too much power from you and your friends. You must find swords that match the Inferno's power and won't drain you or your friends."

Before Ryo could ask another question, the sound of footsteps could be heard running towards them. "Ryo!" Senshi put her hood back on just as the Ronins came in, wearing their sub-armor.

"What are you doing here?" Kento demanded, getting into a fighting position.

Senshi stared at him then turned to Ryo. "When you are ready and have let go of the past, come and find me, Wildfire." She then disappeared into the surrounding forest.

"What was that about?" Rowen asked.

"Ryo, are you all right?" asked Cye, staring at his friend.

Ryo was staring at his swords, thinking about what Senshi said.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 4

At the mansion, Mia was analyzing the damage of Ryo's swords on her computer.

"I can't believe that your swords are broken, Ryo," stated Kento.

"They're not broken yet, Kento; just cracked," corrected Rowen.

"But what if they break if Ryo uses the swords again?" wondered Cye.

"Mia, what can you tell us about the swords?" Sage asked after he saw that Mia had finished analyzing. "Can Ryo use the swords again?"

Mia hesitated for a moment. "Well…"

"What's the deal, Mia?" Ryo asked, interested to know the outcome of his swords.

"If you continue to use the swords in this state, sooner or later they will fail you, Ryo."

"That sucks," said Kento.

Ryo took a deep breath then sighed, nodding his head in acceptance. He couldn't believe the 'luck' he's been having lately. First, his friend died because of Talpa and now, his swords will probably be doomed as well. _Why does everything seem to be falling apart?_ Ryo asked himself. _What is it that I'm doing wrong?_ The more Ryo thought about this, the angrier he got. Ryo suddenly turned to the wall and punched it, effectively putting a hole through it. He took several deep breaths before pulling his hand out from the wall. His knuckles were split and bleeding but Ryo didn't feel the pain; he was in too much anger to feel anything right now.

The door to the study room opened and Yulie walked in, with White Blaze behind him. Yulie saw Ryo's bloody hand and his eyes widen slightly. "Ryo, are you ok?" White Blaze walked past Yulie and over towards Ryo. The tiger saw Ryo's injured hand and started licking his wounds. This brought Ryo out of his state and he moved his hand away from White Blaze. Ryo released a heavy sigh then turned towards Mia. "Sorry about your wall."

Mia gave him a reassuring smile. "It's all right."

"Remember Ryo, we're here for you," said Cye. "You don't have to through this alone."

Ryo nodded, remembering the conversation the five of them had earlier today.

"Why can't we fix Ryo's swords?" Yulie asked.

"These weapons don't exactly grow on trees, Yulie," stated Kento.

"What if we got him a new sword?"

A realization came upon Mia as she looked at Ryo's swords. "These swords go with the armor of Wildfire. So what if there are swords that go with the Inferno armor?"

Everyone stared at her with a bewildered look on their faces.

"Do you think that's possible, Mia?" asked Sage.

"I have to check my grandfather's data. He did a lot of research on the Inferno armor so there should be something in here that will help us." Two hours passed as Mia looked through her grandfather's data, trying to find something that will help the Ronins find what they were looking for. Mia turned to the next page in the data but Rowen saw something just as it changed.

"Wait, Mia, go back to the last page," Rowen gently ordered.

"Ok." Mia pressed the back button and she too saw what Rowen was looking at: the swords that went with the Inferno armor. "Everyone, listen to this. The swords are called the Swords of Fervor. They are deep within the forest in a temple and it is said to be guarded by a Priestess and only the warrior who is worthy of the swords will she bestow the swords to him."

"Why is a Priestess in charge of the swords?" wondered Kento.

"It doesn't really say. Maybe we can ask her when we go tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Kento, do you even know what time it is?" Sage asked, gesturing outside to the darkness of night.

"It will be easier to search for the temple during the light of day than in the darkness of night," said Rowen.

Everyone nodded and they prepared to go to bed but they never saw the figure in the trees, watching them.

* * *

The Priestess sat against a tree, absentmindedly running her fingers through her hair. She was still thinking about the fight she had with Ryo not that long ago and how his swords were badly damaged. Of course, this was all his stupid own fault. If Ryo had let go of his past, then his swords would be in perfect condition.

The Priestess sighed. No, this had nothing to do with his past. The swords of Wildfire can't handle the power of the Inferno armor and they were breaking because of it. However, with the attitude that Ryo has, he will never be able to wield the Fervor swords.

"Does something bother you, Priestess?"

She turned around to see Saber Stryke standing behind her. "No. I'm just thinking about Wildfire's swords. What did you learn from the Ronins?"

"They have found the swords of Fervor and they are planning to come tomorrow morning to get the swords."

"Even if they ask politely, Wildfire is not ready to handle the swords of Fervor." Black Blaze, who is the faithful black tiger of Saber Stryke, walked over to her and nuzzled her leg. The Priestess smiled then she scratched the tiger underneath the chin. She looked at the swords upon the tiger's back and an idea came to her. "Saber Stryke, I need you to complete this next task for me."

* * *

The next morning, Mia, Rowen, Sage, Cye, and Kento were in the Jeep as Mia drove towards the forest. White Blaze ran beside the Jeep with Ryo and Yulie on his back. It wasn't long before they all got to the entrance of the forest. The Ronins and Mia got out of the Jeep and Ryo and Yulie got off White Blaze. Rowen and Mia had a map with them and they lead the group through the forest. Minutes had passed and the group was still walking through the forest.

"Hey, are we sure we're going the right way, Rowen?" Sage asked, turning his head slightly to look at him.

"Yeah, we should be getting close," answered Rowen.

"Hey Cye, let's check things out from above," suggested Kento.

"Um…I'll leave that to you, Kento," said Cye and then Kento jumped into the trees, jumping from branch to branch.

"Look, Kento's part monkey," joked Sage and everyone started laughing. "You belong in the jungle, Kento!"

"Very funny!" Kento's voice rang out through the trees. The group continued on foot through the forest, trying to find the temple of the Priestess.

Mia looked down at her map then stopped in her tracks. "According to the map, the temple should be around here."

"Hey Kento, do you see anything up there?" Ryo called out.

"Nah, just a bunch of trees," answered Kento, standing on a branch. "I don't see a temple or any-" Kento stopped mid-sentence.

"Did you find something?" Cye asked.

"Yeah, I see something sticking out of the trees on my right."

The group made their way over to the right past a group of trees and there was the temple. It was an old temple and it seemed like no one had been there for years. Some of the shingles of the roof were missing, there were holes in the sides of the building, and the roof covering the entrance was caving in.

Kento jumped from the tree, landing on the ground near the group. "The Priestess lives here?"

"It doesn't look structurally safe," commented Cye.

"Is anybody there?" Ryo called out. Silence is what greeted him.

"Maybe she went to a different temple," thought Rowen.

A laugh filled the air and the Ronins prepared themselves for a fight. "I'm surprised that you came to this place, Ronin Warriors," a voice said.

"Who's there?" demanded Ryo.

Saber Stryke appeared on top of the roof of the crumbling temple. The black tiger appeared next to him, growling at the group.

"Identify yourself."

"My name is Saber Stryke. I am the guardian of the Priestess." Saber Stryke grabbed the hilt of the swords and pulled them out of their holder. "And you are not welcomed here."

"He's got the swords," Sage observed.

"Yes, these are the swords of Fervor that you so desperately want. I challenge you, Ronin Warriors, to a fight. If you manage to defeat me, I'll hand over the swords to you. But, if you can't beat me, you'll hand over the Inferno armor to me."

"Why do you want the Inferno armor?" asked Rowen.

"That is none of your concern." Saber Stryke crossed his swords in front of him. "Now, show me your armor."

"If you want a fight, then you got one," said Kento. The group called upon their armors and everyone took out their weapons except for Ryo, who was still uneasy about using his swords.

Saber Stryke jumped down from the roof and charged at the Ronins but he was focusing his sights on Ryo. He slashed the swords at Ryo but all Ryo could do was dodge them. Rowen fired some of his arrows at him to distract the demon but it didn't faze him one bit. Sage's nodaci clashed with the Fervor sword but the power of the sword pushed Sage. "Careful of those swords," Sage warned the others.

"Yeah, no kidding," remarked Kento as he was thrown back also from the power of the Fervor swords.

"Wildfire, show me the Inferno armor!" demanded Saber Stryke.

"Ryo, don't do it," said Mia. "Your swords won't be able to handle that power."

Black Blaze growled at her and lunged but White Blaze jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. The two tigers growled, staring each other down.

"What's wrong, Ronin," taunted Saber Stryke. "Are you not strong enough to fight me?"

Ryo narrowed his eyes and he reached behind him, pulling the swords out from their holder. He charged at Saber Stryke, raising his swords and clashed it with Saber Stryke's. The two struggled as their swords pushed against each other, trying to break the grip of the other. Saber Stryke leaned in towards Ryo and said, "The Priestess is right; you are weak." He pushed Ryo back and he stumbled a bit.

 _Now, Saber Stryke,_ the Priestess commanded, communicating telepathically with Saber Stryke.

 _Yes, Priestess,_ obeyed Saber Stryke. "It seems like my time has been wasted here," commented Saber Stryke, putting the swords of Fervor back into the holder that the black tiger was carrying. "Ronin Warriors, you are not as strong as you were when you beat Talpa and you never will be again." Staring directly at Ryo, he said, "And your friend will not be avenged." Saber Stryke and the tiger disappeared into the forest, the demon's laughter echoing into the forest.

"What did he mean by 'avenged?'" wondered Cye.

"Yeah, Talpa's dead," agreed Rowen.

"What did that guy mean, Mia?" Yulie asked her.

"I'm not sure," she answered.

"Ryo, what-" Sage started to ask him but stopped when he saw the look on his face. Ryo's face showed nothing but pure hatred. "Ryo," warned Sage. "Don't."

However, Ryo ran into the forest after Saber Stryke, determined to make him pay for that last comment.

* * *

The Priestess watched from the tree tops as Ryo chased after Saber Stryke. Her eyes slightly narrowed as Saber Stryke lead Ryo over to the ambush spot. "It's time, Kalana."

A soft growl was heard as a creature moved through the trees as the Priestess stood in her place.

* * *

Ryo continued to run after Saber Stryke; he was determined not to let him get away. He could see Saber Stryke's figure farther ahead of him but it didn't seem like Ryo was catching up to him but was getting farther away. Ryo pushed himself to the max, not caring that his legs were burning from all the running he had to endure.

Suddenly, Ryo was tackled to the ground, something hard pressed down on his chest, holding him to the ground. Ryo glanced up to see a cat demon staring down at him, barring its teeth. The demon had silver fur with three tails waving furiously, it almost looked like the tails were dancing. Two large fangs protruded from its mouth as piercing golden eyes stared down at the warrior. The demon roared at Ryo then raised its razor-sharp claw to strike but the demon was tackled off Ryo. White Blaze stood in front of Ryo, growling at the demon as it got up from the attack. The demon's eyes narrowed then raised its head, releasing a howl.

The black tiger appeared next to the large cat and then lowered himself to the ground, ready to pounce. White Blaze barred his teeth at the tiger then launched himself at him. The two tigers wrestled with each other as their claws swiped at the other and their teeth bit into the air as they missed their targets.

The cat demon set its sights on Ryo again as it took a threatening step forward. Ryo held his swords out in front of him, ready to fight. The demon started running towards Ryo but Ryo was able to avoid the cat's claws as it swiped at him. Ryo swiped his swords at the cat but the animal caught the katanas with its teeth. With impressive force, the demon bit down and the swords broke into a million pieces. A gasp escaped Ryo's lips as he stared down at his broken swords. Using this to its advantage, the cat struck Ryo in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. The cat pounced on Ryo then slammed his head against the tree, effectively knocking him out.

White Blaze saw this and he let out an angry roar. He turned his attention away from Black Blaze and charged at the demon but Black Blaze was able to tackle White Blaze to the ground. The demon walked over to White Blaze and stared at him but when White Blaze saw him, he swiped his claw at the demon, cutting her on her shoulder blade. The cat growled then raised her claw to strike.

"Kalana!" The cat turned around, watching as the Priestess walked into the area. She glanced over at Ryo to see him unconscious. "I need you to carry him for me." Kalana nodded then walked over to the Ronin and the Priestess helped get Ryo onto Kalana's back. She turned towards White Blaze and motioned for Black Blaze to free the white tiger. The black tiger took a few steps back, letting White Blaze get up. White Blaze slowly walked towards Kalana and stared upon Ryo. He nudged his arm then let out a small whine when he didn't wake up.

The Priestess laid her hand upon the tiger's head. "Don't worry; he'll be fine." She started walking away, with Kalana following behind her. White Blaze ran towards the front, blocking their path. "It's all right. I'm taking him to my place to help him. You can come with us if you want to be with your friend."

White Blaze stared at the Priestess for a minute before walking over to her side and the three walked out of the forest.

* * *

 **Please leave a review. Bye! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it's been so long but school has gotten ahold of me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 5

The Priestess walked through a group of trees, with Kalana and White Blaze following behind her. She stopped in front of a pond of water with a cluster of trees surrounding it, sunlight streaming through the branches which made the water shimmer from the rays of the sun. A small hut was across from the pond and it was only big enough to house one person. A clothes line hung next to the hut with a wash bucket underneath the line.

The Priestess stopped in-between the hut and the pond, turning towards Kalana. She walked up to the wolf demon and the animal knelt down as the Priestess slid Ryo off Kalana's back and placed him on the ground. White Blaze walked over to Ryo and laid down beside him, placing his head on Ryo's chest.

Kalana turned to the left and started growling, taking a step towards the trees. The Priestess held out her hand in front of the demon and Kalana instantly calmed down. "I'll handle it; watch the tiger and the Ronin." Kalana nodded and the Priestess walked over to the trees.

* * *

"Where could he have gone?" Kento asked, stepping over a fallen tree branch. The group was currently looking for Ryo, trying to figure out where he was.

"Why did he have to run off like that?" Sage demanded, still pissed that Ryo didn't calm down and listen to him.

"Saber Stryke did push the 'Maria button,'" reasoned Cye.

"That's still no excuse."

"I can see why Wildfire is having issues."

Everyone turned around to see the Priestess standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. The Ronins drew their weapons, pointing them at the Priestess. "Quick to fight, are we?"

"Where's our friend?" demanded Rowen.

"Until Wildfire can control his emotions, he'll be staying with me."

"Like we're going to leave our friend with you." Kento pointed his naginata at the Priestess.

"Even though he has pushed you away, you still wish to help him?"

"Of course, Ryo is our friend and our teammate," said Cye.

"We are the Ronin Warriors and we always be there for each other," claimed Sage.

The Priestess thought about this, a smile forming on her lips. "Then you may be of some use to me." She pulled back her hood, revealing her face to them, surprising the Ronins. "Since you claim to always be there for Ryo, I want you to help me with a task."

"What kind of task?"

"At the state Ryo is right now, he will never be able to wield the Swords of Fervor that compliments the Inferno armor. But if were to overcome his grief, then his mind will be cleared and he will be able to fight effectively."

"What do you want with us?" Kento asked, his naginata still raised.

"Do you want to help your friend or not?" The Priestess exclaimed, getting tired of all these questions.

The Ronins looked at each other, silently coming to a decision.

* * *

Ryo woke up to an aching headache as he slowly sat up. He placed his hand on his head, slightly groaning, when light shown in his eyes. He covered his face then realized where he was. Ryo looked around the forest then his eyes landed on the small tent not too far from him. _Who brought me here?_ Ryo wondered to himself.

A nudge on his arm turned Ryo's attention to White Blaze standing next to him. "White Blaze." Ryo scratched the tiger's chin. "Where are we?"

"You're at my home." Ryo turned to the left to see the Priestess standing there. Only she wasn't in her armor like he had saw her. She was wearing a black and purple kimono with sandals and her hair was slightly blowing in the breeze. The Priestess walked over towards Kalana, scratching her head. "I brought you here so I can help you."

"Help me? Why do you want to help me when you've been fighting me?"

The Priestess glared at Ryo. "I tried to warn you the first day not to fight Saranbo because you weren't ready and you didn't listen to me. I told you that your swords would break if you used them again and they did. Ryo of the Wildfire, if you don't start listening to your friends and people trying to help you, you're going to get yourself seriously wounded or killed."

Ryo stared at her for a moment, trying to figure her out. "So why should I trust you? You never told me anything about yourself but you seem to know me pretty well."

"I don't know you that well, Ryo." The Priestess sat down across from Ryo and Kalana followed suit, placing her head on the Priestess's lap. "But I know of you and the other Ronin Warriors. My name is Tiffany and I was taught by Kaos, or as you knew him, the Ancient One. My sister and I were trained to be Priestesses."

"Shouldn't you be wearing a red and white kimono then?"

She gave him a small smile. "My sister wears that one. I'm what is known as a 'warrior priestess' meaning I fight demons and try to purify their souls."

"What do you mean 'purify their souls?'"

Tiffany gestured to Kalana. "When I first meet Kalana, she was sent to attack my village. I was able to purify her heart and she became my friend, my ally. I took the evil out of her so now she stays with me. I'm still learning to rid of evil out of people's hearts."

"You can't do people?"

"No, I only know how to do animal demons or armored demons that aren't powerful. Talpa, for example, is a demon too powerful for me to purify for he has no heart. In order for people to be purified of all evil, they have to at least have some good in them. If I can find that small amount of good, I might be able to get rid of the evil surrounding their heart and cleanse their bodies."

Ryo nodded at Tiffany's explanation then glared at the wolf-demon who in turn started growling at Ryo. "Kalana," warned Tiffany but it didn't stop the wolf-demon from growling at Ryo. "Would you stop glaring at Kalana?"

"I'm still pissed at her."

Tiffany released an exasperated sigh. "They're just swords."

"It's like you say they're easily fixed."

"Of course they are."

Ryo's eyes widen. "What?"

"Wow, you don't even know the power of your armor." Tiffany shook her head. "Pathetic."

"Hey-"

"Don't even try to defend yourself. You got yourself into this mess because you wouldn't listen and you charged into fights without even thinking twice about the consequences. Tell me this, Ryo, why are you acting like this?" Ryo opened his mouth to respond but then he shut it, not knowing what to say. "Are you acting like this because of the death of your friend?"

"Maria has nothing to do with this!"

"Yes she does. The way you are acting right now is saying that you have not gotten over her death. Have you even talked to the other Ronin Warriors about how you are feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like I totally believe that. Let's change the scenario, shall we? One of your friends just lost someone they deeply cared about and they are shutting you out, pushing you away. How would you feel or what would you do?"

Ryo thought about this question for a moment. "I wouldn't stop bugging them until they tell me how they feel…" Ryo trailed off, realizing what was happening.

Tiffany smirked at him. "See? Your friends are trying to get you to open up, to say how you're feeling but all you're doing is pushing them away. Hiding in your emotions is not a good thing for it won't be long until you lash out at someone you care about."

"It sounds like you know from experience."

She nodded. "I was separated from my sister a few years ago. We were like best friends, we would do anything together." Tiffany sighed. "The day she was kidnapped, I closed myself off from my family, not talking to them. One day, when my mother was trying to get me to open up, I lashed out at her, telling her that what happened to my sister was her fault. It was when I saw the sadness in my mother's eyes did I realize that I went too far." Tiffany stopped her story, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Kalana nuzzled her master in an attempt to comfort her. Tiffany rubbed the wolf's head in thanks. "My father thought I needed to have some time to myself so he asked Kaos to take me with him on his journey, thinking that it would straighten me out. The whole time I was training with Kaos, all I could think about was how I hurt my mother."

"Have you ever gone back?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany snapped her gaze to him, narrowing her eyes. "This isn't about me; this is about you." She stood up from her spot on the ground. "I'm going to put your through a series of tests to help you get over the death of your friend."

"You can't just forget about your friend's death," Ryo stated, slightly glaring at her.

"I know, but you can't mope around forever for that is not going to bring her back." Tiffany placed her hand on Kalana's back and the wolf bent down, allowing Tiffany to climb on her back. "Now, you have two options. You can go back home to your friends or you can meet with me at the temple with the 'everlasting' candles. Whatever decision you make has different outcomes so I suggest you choose wisely." Tiffany stared Ryo down then turned towards the trees. "Let's go, Kalana." The wolf took off and the two disappeared into the forest.

Ryo stared at the slowly fading figures then looked down at his lap, having a mental battle with himself. He wanted to go home and forget this whole thing but he also wanted to know what Tiffany could do to help him. Ryo looked down at White Blaze, gently petting the tiger. Having his mind made up, Ryo got up and headed through the forest, with White Blaze following right behind him.

* * *

 **What decision has Ryo chosen? You'll have to find out in the next chapter. Also, who likes the new Tiffany better? When I read this chapter to my friends, they loved the new Tiffany a lot better than the old one. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the new Tiffany. Bye :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! I'm so sorry I took so long to update. My plan was to update after I got out of college for the summer but I never had the inspiration to write. It was very disappointing. So, to make it up to you, I made this super long chapter for you all! I originally was going to split this chapter up but I thought you guys deserved this chapter after my unexpected hiatus.**

 **Also, I would like to give a shot-out to tmdrago for helping me with some aspects of this chapter. She's been very helpful with these stories whenever I need assistance or advice.**

 **So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I don't own the Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Tiffany stood in front of the temple, her arms crossed over her chest. She was staring at the trees, waiting to see if Ryo would show up or not. Kalana sat beside her, also staring at the trees. The wolf kept on looking up at her mistress every once in a while and it wasn't long before the wolf nuzzled her for some comfort. Tiffany reached over and laid her hand on Kalana's head, rubbing it gently.

In the temple, the other Ronins, Mia, and Yulie were standing there, watching Tiffany stare off into the trees.

"What's the point of this again?" Kento asked, breaking the silence that had formed.

"It's to see if your friend, Wildfire, will commit to my training. If he doesn't show, then I'll assume that he doesn't care."

"He'll show," stated Yulie, determined in his hero. "Ryo wouldn't leave us here."

Tiffany turned to Yulie and gave him a smile, not having the heart to tell him that Ryo doesn't know that his friends are with her. Tiffany's eyes met Sage's and she noticed that he was staring at her, almost like he knew what she did. She narrowed her eyes at him, warning him not to say anything to upset the child. Kalana looked back and forth between the two before stepping in front of Tiffany and started to growl at Sage. "Kalana, no," Tiffany gently ordered, stroking the wolf's back. Kalana huffed in annoyance then walked around in a circle before laying down at Tiffany's feet, her head resting on her paws. She stared at the group, watching them with a careful eye.

The sound of a twig breaking alerted Kalana and her head perked up as she looked at the forest. She stared to growl as she stood up, ready to pounce. From the forest emerged Ryo with White Blaze following close behind. Upon seeing Kalana, White Blaze immediately got into a crouched position, also growling at the wolf. Both animals barred their teeth at each other for neither animals wanted to be the first ones to give up.

"Stop, Kalana," Tiffany said but Kalana didn't listen. She took a step towards White Blaze as she prepared to pounce. Before she could however, Tiffany stood in-between the two animals. "I said stop!" Kalana stared at Tiffany then raised her head and howled. She then took off into the trees to release frustration on something other than her master.

Tiffany released a sigh then turned towards Ryo. "You came, that's good."

Ryo stared at her but out of the corner of his eye, he saw some people behind her. His eyes widen when he realized that the people in the temple were his friends. "What do you think you're-"

"Shut it," Tiffany hissed, glancing back at Yulie. She looked back at Ryo and walked towards him. In a low voice, Tiffany said, "Just pretend you knew I had your friends." She took a step back as she started to circle Ryo.

"I'm here like you asked now let my friends go," demanded Ryo, playing along.

Tiffany smirked. "It's not going to be that easy, Ryo. You have to pass one of my tests first."

"What are you talking about?"

Tiffany walked over to a rock and from behind it, she retrieved two swords in a black holder. She unsheathed the swords then placed them on the ground between Ryo and his friends. "These are the Swords of Fervor that you need for the Armor of Inferno and I will give them to you but…" Tiffany gestured to his friends. "Your friends will stay with me."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed, staring at Tiffany.

"What's more important to you, Ryo? These swords or your friends?" Tiffany took a step back from the swords. "It's your choice, Ryo." Ryo stared back and forth between the swords and his friends but it was a quick decision for him.

"Let my friends go."

"You choose your friends over these swords? Even though you need these swords?"

"Yes."

Tiffany smiled. "Good choice, Wildfire." She picked up the swords. "For if you would have picked the swords…" She smashed the swords into the ground and they instantly broke on impact. "I would have called you a fool."

"They're fake," observed Sage.

"The real Swords of Fervor are currently owned by my protector."

"Your protector?" Cye asked.

"Well…sort of. I saved him from following the darkness and he feels like he owes a debt of gratitude to me and he's been by my side ever since. He's a very loyal friend."

"Will this 'friend' of yours lend us the swords?" asked Kento.

Tiffany narrowed her eyes. "The swords will not be wielded by just anyone. They must prove themselves to be worthy of wielding the swords." She glanced at the Ronin Warriors. "If you let me train you, then you'll be able to wield the Swords of Fervor."

"Why should we let you train us?" asked Rowen, cocking an eyebrow.

"That is a good point, Rowen of the Strata." Tiffany smirked as Rowen's eyes widen. "But there is a lot you don't know about me." She raised her hand and a golden aura surrounded her hand, weaving through her fingers. The aura surrounded the rest of her body and it made her hair look like it was blowing gently through the breeze. She then raised her hands in the air. "Come to me!" Two swords appeared in Tiffany's hands and she clenched them in her hands.

"Are those…" Mia started but the words died in her throat as she realized what they were.

"Yes, these are the real Swords of Fervor. But unlike your weapons, these swords will only be held by those who are one with themselves. Ronin Warriors, as a group, you are not one with each other; you are not working together as a group. Until you learn to be one as a group, you will never wield the Swords of Fervor."

"So you going to put us through a team building exercise?" asked Kento.

Tiffany smirked. "No but that would be fun to watch." She walked over to the group. "In order to claim these swords, you must show that are one with each other. Only then will you be allowed to have the swords."

"How will we know when we are one?" Sage wondered.

"You will fight against my protector, who currently wields the swords as his own. If you can defeat him, the swords will be passed over to you. However, if you cannot beat him, then you will hand the Inferno Armor over to me."

"What?!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Do you really think I'll allow you to own powerful weapons you don't even know how to use let alone handle? Both the Armor of Inferno and the Swords of Fervor must be given to someone who is responsible enough to handle this power. As you are now, this will not be given to you." Tiffany stared at each Ronin, observing them but set her sights on Ryo. "Out of all the Ronin Warriors, you are the worst of all."

Ryo was taken back by this as the others started to defend him.

"Don't defend him! Ryo, you lack trust in your friends and you won't rely on them for help. As a leader, you must seek advice from your teammates and make a decision based off that. From what I can see not only are you rushing into fights head on, you don't listen to your friends." Tiffany shook her head. "With that kind of attitude, the swords will never be given to you." Ryo opened his mouth to speak but Tiffany held up her hand. "However, there is a way to fix all of this but it will prove to be difficult."

"What is it?"

"Talk to your friends. When you do that, your conscious will be clear." Tiffany turned around and started walking away. "Kalana!" The demon wolf appeared, taking the place where Tiffany just stood. "Once you have finished talking, Kalana will take you to the place where you will fight for the swords." Tiffany took one last glance at the Ronins. "Don't keep me waiting." She then disappeared into the trees. Kalana sat down on the ground, staring at the group.

"Who is she to tell us what we can and can't do?!" exclaimed Kento.

"She is trying to help us, though," reasoned Cye.

"I'm not going to stand here and talk about my feelings." Kento took a step forward but stopped when Kalana started growling at him. Only when Kento moved back did Kalana stop growling.

"I guess there is no way to avoid this," observed Rowen. The five Ronins glanced at everything but each other. Neither of them wanted to talk about how they were feeling.

"Yulie, let's walk around for a bit," suggested Mia, knowing that the guys needed some time alone.

"But-" Yulie started but stopped when he saw the stern look on her face. "Ok." Mia grabbed Yulie's hand and the two walked away from the temple. White Blaze followed them for he knew that they needed some protection. As they walked off, the tiger quickly glanced at Kalana before the trio walked into the forest.

It was quiet at the temple, no one said a word until Cye decided to break the silence. "So, who wants to start?"

* * *

Tiffany sat against a rock on the outskirts of the forest, petting Black Blaze, when Saber Stryke came over. "Do you think this plan will work, Priestess?"

Tiffany turned to him, an eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

"Do you think the Ronin Warriors will take you in when they realize that I am your guardian?"

"Saber Stryke-"

"They aren't going to take it lightly. Especially since you will go with them."

"No, I'm not going with them."

"Priestess, you need someone to protect you."

"I can protect myself."

"I know you can but you are the only one to tame the power of the Swords of Fervor. Even if Wildfire claims the swords, they will still be drained by Inferno's armor. They need you, Tiffany."

This made Tiffany stop and stare at Saber Stryke. Through most of the time she had known Saber Stryke, he had never called her by her first name; he always called her 'Priestess.' Tiffany narrowed her eyes at him as she realized what he was doing. "What are you planning, Saber Stryke?"

Saber Stryke was quiet, not saying a word.

"Whatever it is your planning, stop. My plan will work out fine." Tiffany stared at Saber Stryke before walking off into the forest. Saber Stryke watched her go before turning to Black Blaze. He nodded at the tiger and the tiger nodded back then followed Tiffany into the forest.

* * *

Tiffany stopped in a field of lilac flowers, kneeling on the ground. She picked up one of the flowers and inhaled the scent. A smile appeared on her face as she felt her body relax. The smell of lilac always seemed to relax her, whatever situation she was in. Tiffany was really happy that she found this field a while back for she knew she would have had a breakdown with all the stress in her life without the lilac.

The snap of a twig alerted Tiffany to company and she turned around to see the white tiger along with Yulie and Mia. "I'm sorry to disturb you," started Mia.

"It's fine, I didn't really think anyone would find this place."

White Blaze walked over to Tiffany and laid down next to her, placing his head on her lap. Tiffany smiled at him then started stroking his head with her finger. She turned to Mia and Yulie. "Please, come over and sit with me." The two walked over to Tiffany and sat down next to White Blaze with Yulie running his hand over the tiger's back. "Did you know that lilac is supposed to help people calm down and relieve stress?" Tiffany fingered the flower.

"Really?" Yulie asked.

"Well…in my case it does. Whenever I felt stressed or angry, I came here and took several deep breaths. The lilacs would help me calm down and then I would feel much better after that. I have called this place my safe haven."

"Are you angry at Ryo?"

Tiffany stared at him, trying to think if she really was angry at Ryo. After a while, she shook her head. "I'm not angry at him, more like frustrated. He is really thick-headed."

"I agree with that," Mia muttered.

Tiffany glanced at her, a smirk playing on her lips. "I realized that I never got your names and that I never introduced myself. My name is Tiffany."

"My name's Mia Koji. I have studied ancient legend and mythology with my grandfather."

"I'm Yulie and this is White Blaze."

Tiffany smiled at Yulie's eagerness. "Well he is a very handsome tiger." She scratched the tiger underneath his chin.

"I noticed that you knew the Ronin Warriors," stated Mia.

"Yes, the Ancient was my mentor for a few years so he taught me about the Ronin Warriors. He said there would be a time where I would need to help them learn about the white armor. I just didn't think they would need this much help."

White Blaze's ears perked up and he looked at the forest. He started growling and stood up in front of the trio. Tiffany stood up as well, standing next to White Blaze and took out a dagger. "Stay behind me," she muttered to Mia and Yulie who nodded at her.

From the trees, an armored black tiger appeared and Tiffany widen her eyes. _Black Blaze?_ Behind the tiger, Saber Stryke appeared. "You must be the Priestess."

Tiffany stared at him, an eyebrow raised. She tried to figure out what Saber Stryke was doing but she couldn't figure it out. Her heart started to race when Saber Stryke took out the Swords of Fervor. "I challenge you to fight me."

"I thought the swords were with Tiffany's protector," thought Yulie.

"They were."

Tiffany gasped as she realized what his plan was. Make it seem like he was the bad guy and not her protector. "How could you?" she muttered.

"The new warrior you are going to give it to is not worthy of the swords and neither was your protector."

"How are you wielding the swords? You can't wield them without my blessing."

"Why do you think I'm here?"

Tiffany narrowed her eyes then raised her hand. "Come Armor of Spirits!" Light wrapped around Tiffany and it wasn't long before the familiar black and purple armor appeared on her. She drew out her katanas and pointed them at her friend. "You will surrender the swords to me or else you will suffer the consequences." Tiffany gave Saber Stryke a pleading look, begging him to stop this act but he chose to ignore it.

"Fine, then I'll just have to make you give me the blessing!" Saber Stryke charged at Tiffany with Black Blaze close behind. White Blaze jumped at the black tiger and the two tigers started wrestling with one another while Tiffany and Saber Stryke fought with one another.

* * *

Back at the temple, all the Ronin Warriors seemed to accomplish was yelling at each other.

"Ryo, that girl was right," argued Rowen. "You need to tell us what is going on with you."

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again; I'm fine," spat Ryo.

"Like hell you are!" yelled Sage. "You've been distance ever since Maria was killed by Talpa and you never wanted to talk about it."

"Yeah, and you get pissed whenever one of us mentions her," said Kento.

"I'm only pissed because you bad-mouthed her!" yelled Ryo.

"Ryo, if you keep bottling up your emotions, sooner or later you are going to explode," reasoned Cye. "Just tell us how you are really doing and not lie to us."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Why not?" demanded Sage.

"Because Maria reminded me of my little sister I lost!"

Everyone grew quiet, staring at Ryo. For the years the guys knew Ryo, they had never heard Ryo mention a little sister. They always thought Ryo was an only child and that he didn't have any siblings.

"You had a sister?" Cyeasked.

Ryo nodded. "Her name was Rena and she was two years younger than me. I was eight when she died and if Rena were still alive, she would be the spitting image of Maria. So when I saw Maria, all I could think about was how she looked like Rena. And when Maria died, I felt like I lost Rena all over again." Ryo suddenly felt something nudge his hand and when he looked down, Kalana stood next to him, looking at him with sad eyes. She nudged his hand until Ryo placed it on the wolf's head. Kalana stayed there until her ears perked up. She looked at the forest, staring at it for a bit before she started growling, taking a step toward the forest.

"What's going on?" Rowen wondered.

"I have no idea," answered Ryo.

Kalana stopped growling then let out a howl as she took off into the forest with the Ronins following close behind.

* * *

Tiffany dodged another swing aimed for her head then crossed her swords to keep Saber Strkye's sword from her. "You're holding back," commented Saber Stryke. Tiffany pushed him back with her foot but Saber Stryke lunged at her which made Tiffany lose her balance. Saber Stryke raised his sword but before he was able to strike, Kalana head-butted him, knocking him back. Kalana stood over Tiffany, growling at him but stopped when she realized who it was. She looked back at Tiffany, whining in confusion. Tiffany shook her head as she stood up, standing next to her friend. White Blaze stood on the other side of Tiffany, his teeth bared at Saber Stryke and Black Blaze.

Saber Stryke stared past Tiffany. "It seems we have company."

Tiffany glanced behind her to see the Ronin Warriors standing not that far from her.

"Saber Stryke," growled Ryo.

"My battle is not with you, Ronin Warriors. My fight is with the Priestess." Saber Stryke stared directly at Ryo. "Besides, you can't fight me in your state, Wildfire."

Ryo glared at him, his hands clenched into fists. White Blaze stared at his master than at the swords Saber Stryke held. The tiger looked over at Kalana and let out small roars. Kalana glanced at him, barking at the tiger. Tiffany stared back and forth between the two animals with the others staring at them in confusion.

"What's going on, Mia?" Yulie asked.

"I think they're communicating," answered Mia.

 _What are they planning?_ Tiffany thought.

The two animals stopped communicating then stared at their opponent. It wasn't a minute after before the two animals charged at their enemies.

"Kalana!" yelled Tiffany at the same time Ryo yelled, "White Blaze!"

Kalana jumped on Saber Stryke as White Blaze clawed at Saber Stryke's hand then grabbed the sword with his teeth. Black Blaze roared, jumped at White Blaze, and then clawed at his chest. Blood spilled from White Blaze's chest, dying the flowers red.

"No, White Blaze!" cried Yulie as ran over to the tiger but was stopped by Tiffany, who couldn't believe what had transpired.

Ryo stared down at White Blaze, his heart beating rapidly as images of Maria's and his sister's deaths played over in his mind. White Blaze glanced up at Ryo and then nudged the sword over towards him. Ryo narrowed his eyes as he walked over to his friend. He leaned down and grabbed the sword. "White Blaze, my friend, I won't waste your sacrifice."

Thunder rumbled in the distance and lighting flashed in the sky as Saber Stryke and Ryo stared each other down.

"This will be our final battle," declared Saber Stryke. "The victor will claim the Inferno armor _and_ the Swords of Fervor, agreed?"

"Sure," Ryo agreed, nodding his head.

"One more thing." Saber Stryke glanced at Tiffany. "That girl is a Priestess and her guardian was defeated by me. Before he died, he revealed to me the swords will not be at full power without her."

"Hey, I'm not some object that is passed around, you know!" exclaimed Tiffany, her face red with anger. She knew what Saber Stryke was trying to say but it pissed her off on the way he worded it.

"So basically, the winner gets the Inferno armor, the swords, and the Priestess," relayed Ryo.

"Yes," confirmed Saber Stryke. He and Ryo continued to stare each other down, not moving an inch.

White Blaze tried to get up but the wound in his chest made it difficult for him to move. Yulie got out of Tiffany's grasp and ran towards White Blaze, placing his hand on the tiger's head. Mia knelt next to White Blaze and Yulie, checking the wound on the tiger. Tiffany stood behind Mia. "How is he?"

Mia turned to her. "It's bad."

Tiffany's eyes softened, looking at the tiger as she stroked his fur. The sound of swords clashing against each other made Tiffany look up to see Ryo and Saber Stryke fighting against each other.

"Come on, let's go!" Kento exclaimed, taking out his weapon. He took a step but Tiffany stepped in front of him, her arms spread wide. "What?"

"This is between the two of them."

Kento scoffed and tried to go around Tiffany but Rowen stopped him. "Why are you stopping me?"

"This is Ryo's battle now," stated Rowen. He glanced at Tiffany, slightly nodding at her.

Tiffany gave him a small smile then turned around to observe the fight between Ryo and Saber Stryke.

Saber Stryke swiped his sword at Ryo but Ryo dodged it only to lose his balance when a sword was aimed for his head. Saber Stryke laid out a combination of sword strikes at Ryo as he rolled out of the way. Ryo got back on his feet, avoiding more of Saber Stryke's attacks. "Fight back, Wildfire," said Saber Stryke. "Show me the strength of the white armor of Inferno."

Ryo narrowed his eyes as he blocked another swipe to his head. He pushed Saber Stryke away from him then charged forward to attack but Saber Stryke side-stepped and swung his sword at Ryo, hitting his chest with enough force to make him fly through some trees.

"Can we help him now?" Kento demanded, looking at Tiffany.

"He has to beat Saber Stryke on his own," replied Tiffany. "I know you want to help him but there is another way to help him."

A slight whine was heard and everyone turned around to see Kalana trying to help White Blaze up but it wasn't doing any good.

"Stop, Kalana," Tiffany gently ordered. Kalana looked up at Tiffany, slowly backing away. She then leaned down and licked White Blaze's cheek, trying to offer a little bit of comfort. White Blaze stared at the wolf, gently nodding his head in thanks.

Yulie rubbed the tiger's head. "White Blaze, please get up."

White Blaze moved his head so that Yulie's hand was next to his mouth and then he licked it. He let out a remorseful cry and his head collapsed to the ground, not moving.

"White Blaze!" Yulie cried, tears in his eyes.

Everyone turned their attention to them, noticing the tiger was not moving.

"It's time to end this," stated Saber Stryke then jumped into the air. "Winged Angel of Death!" He sent his sure-kill towards Ryo and it struck him head on, which made Ryo scream in pain as the sure-kill ran through his body.

"Form the Inferno!" exclaimed Rowen. "It's the only way to help him!"

The other Ronin Warriors nodded and they sent their armor powers over to Ryo. He felt the powers of his friends' armors flood through him. Intense fire wrapped around Ryo as it replaced the armor of Wildfire with the armor of Inferno.

Saber Stryke, who thought Ryo was dead, was surprised to see Ryo standing there with the armor of Inferno on him.

"You're going to get it," Ryo growled, clutching the sword tightly in his hand.

Saber Stryke held the sword out in front of him. "I'll make sure you won't survive next time." He jumped back into the air, charging up his attack. "Winged Angel of Death!"

Ryo sent some of his power into the Fervor Sword, charging it up. "Flare Up!" He then moved the sword into a circle, creating a ring of fire. "Rage of Inferno!" He sent the attack towards Saber Stryke and the two attacks collided, sending a lot of debris everywhere and the Ronins, Tiffany, Mia, and Yulie had to shield their faces from the flying debris. A huge explosion occurred and when the dust cleared, Saber Stryke and Ryo stood in each other's places, with Ryo holding both the Swords of Fervor.

Saber Stryke's body quivered as he shakily raised his hands. "The swords…seemed to have…chosen…you." He groaned and then collapsed to the ground. Ryo turned around to glance at his opponent to see Black Blaze walk up to his master, nuzzling him.

"White Blaze, open your eyes." Ryo turned back to his friends to see them surrounding White Blaze with Yulie tightly hugging the tiger's neck. "Wake up, please wake up," begged Yulie, tears running down his face. Everyone stood around the tiger, their heads bowed in silence for their friend. "No! White Blaze!"

Ryo knelt beside his friend, placing a hand on his back. "White Blaze…" His head replaced his hand, silent tears running down his face.

Black Blaze nuzzled his master again, hoping he would get up. Saber Stryke turned to his tiger. "Black Blaze…I'm not your master anymore." His eyes glowed blue. "That boy is now your master and make sure you…protect…Tiffany." The blue glow left his eyes and his head fell to the ground. His body turned to a pale green color before his body disappeared. Black Blaze released a departing roar for his master before his body glowed and flew into White Blaze, his body turning the same color.

Everyone was startled by this, watching the glow disappear from White Blaze's body. White Blaze moved his body a bit before opening his eyes, staring at Yulie.

"White Blaze!" Yulie exclaimed. The tiger licked the boy's cheek, making Yulie smile. The guys surrounded White Blaze, giving the tiger their undivided attention, happy that he was alive.

Tiffany watched the scene before her, a sincere smile on her face as tears filled her eyes. Kalana rubbed her head against her master's side, offering some comfort. Tiffany rubbed the wolf's head then glanced to the sky. _Rest in peace, Saber Stryke. I promise to help the Ronin Warriors so your death won't be in vain._ A light breeze blew against her face, blowing her hair. A tear escaped from her eye as she heard Saber Stryke's voice. _Take care, my Priestess._

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed. I don't know when I'll update again for I'll be going house hunting next week with my mom so it might be a while again. But I promise that it won't be as long as next time. Please review, bye! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ryo ran behind a tree, stopping to catch his breath. He peaked around it to see no one there. He checked his surroundings for his enemy but didn't see her. Ryo clutched the Fervor swords tightly in his hands then slowly moved away from his hiding place. He walked forward, looking around the area. A branch snapping alerted Ryo to the trees and he looked up. He heard more branches snapping and cracking which made Ryo look everywhere in the trees.

A thump was heard behind him and before Ryo could turn around to face his enemy, he was kicked onto his stomach. Ryo maneuvered out of the way before the sword could strike his head. Ryo briefly glanced up at Tiffany before dodging the other sword aimed for his head. He rolled over onto his knees, quickly got to his feet, and then charged at Tiffany. He swung his katana at her but Tiffany blocked it with her sword. She twisted her sword around Ryo's then flicked it up, sending the Fervor sword out of Ryo's hand and towards a tree. Tiffany swung her sword hard at Ryo's other sword and also knocked it out of his hand. She quickly crouched down and swiped her leg out which knocked Ryo's legs out from underneath him. He fell to the ground and Tiffany stood over him, sword pointing at his throat. The two stayed like that for a moment or two then Tiffany lowered her sword. "I win again."

Ryo groaned as Tiffany smirked down at him. "Why do I have to fight with the Fervor swords? Can't I fix my Wildfire swords and fight with those?"

"You have to get used to fighting with the Fervor swords. If you only use the swords of Wildfire, then when you won't feel comfortable wielding the swords of Fervor when you call upon the armor of Inferno. So until you feel more comfortable with the swords and have beaten me with them, I will not help you fix the swords of Wildfire." Tiffany stared down at him then turned around and walked away. "Maybe you should fight with your friends again. Get more practice."

Ryo huffed in annoyance as he got to his feet. He was getting frustrated at Tiffany's method of teaching. Ryo didn't think she would be that strict but he should have known better, especially when Tiffany first became his teacher.

 **FLASHBACK**

The Ronins, Mia, and Tiffany arrived at the mansion with White Blaze and Kalana following close behind. Yulie was on the tiger's back but he had fallen asleep on the way back, exhausted by today's events.

Mia walked over to the boy and gently shook his shoulder. "Yulie," Mia softly called. "Yulie, wake up."

The boy moaned as he slowly opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. "What?" he groggily asked.

"We're back, let's get you to bed." Mia helped him off White Blaze's back then grabbed his hand and led him into the mansion. Once they were gone, the Ronins turned their attention to Tiffany. She glanced at each one of them before sighing and rolling her eyes. "Do you have a problem with me now?" she asked them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How do we know we can trust you?" asked Kento.

"What do you mean?"

"When we first met Saber Stryke, he said he was the guardian of the Priestess," Cye gently explained. He didn't want there to be an argument between Tiffany and Kento so he wanted to keep the two from going at each other's throats. "So we assumed he was your guardian."

Tiffany sighed. "Yes, he was my guardian."

"Then why did he say he killed your guardian?" asked Sage. "Did he forget?"

"Most likely but he also knew that if you knew he was my guardian, you five wouldn't let me stay with you."

"That's not-" Rowen started but Tiffany held up her hand, silencing him.

"Think about it. Your friend that you lost, didn't she work for Talpa?"

"How did you-"

"And weren't you all furious when you found this information out?" When the Ronins didn't answer, Tiffany went on. "I know that it can be difficult to handle that information but did you ever consider hearing their side of the story, of why they did what they did?"

It was a while before Ryo answered, "We did find out eventually why Maria was working with Talpa but we sort of forced it out of her."

"More like Kento forced it out of her," muttered Rowen.

"I didn't force it out of her!" exclaimed Kento.

"Yes you did…well sort of," Cye said. "You two were arguing and Maria did blurt out her secret to all of us when she reached her limit."

Kento opened his mouth to argue against him but he closed it instead. The argument between him and Maria came to his mind as he remembered how he accused her of not knowing who to trust and questioning why she worked with Talpa. Feeling guilty with himself, he wished Maria was here so he could apologize to her but he couldn't.

"You regret it, don't you?" Tiffany questioned, staring at Kento but switched her glance to everyone else. "All of you are. You wish your friend was still here so you could apologize to her. Now you listen to me, you can either accept the fact that Saber Stryke was my protector and let me train you or you can send me away and not know how to use the Swords of Fervor. Your choice."

The Ronins glanced at each other, not knowing what to do.

"If you five need to talk amongst yourselves, I'll give you some time." Tiffany walked away from the group and over to Kalana, giving the animal some much needed attention.

"So, what do we say?" Rowen asked.

"I don't know," started Sage. "She does want to help us control the Inferno's power but I'm still a little edgy of her working with Saber Stryke."

"I don't trust her pet either," said Kento.

"But the animal is very loyal to Tiffany," defended Cye. "Unless Tiffany commands it, the animal wouldn't attack us. Plus, Tiffany did state that Saber Stryke was her protector."

"Yeah, so she probably commanded Saber Stryke to attack us."

"But she was trying to help us," interjected Rowen. "She was the one who warned us about not fighting Saranbo, even though we still fought him anyway."

"What do you think, Ryo?" Sage asked, turning to him. "You're the one who is going to be wielding the swords."

Ryo was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He looked over at Tiffany, who had her arms around Kalana's neck, her head resting on the animal's neck. He glanced back at his friends before nodding his head. "I think I'll take her offer."

The guys nodded as they walked over to Tiffany. She noticed the guys walking over to her and straightened herself up, standing in front of Kalana. "Well?"

"I'll like you to train me how to use the Swords of Fervor and to control Inferno's power."

Tiffany smiled at them. "Good choice." She looked at the mansion. "So where are we sleeping?"

"We?" Cye asked.

"Kalana is staying with me too."

"No," said Kento.

"I'm sorry?"

"That animal is not staying there."

"So a full grown tiger can live you with but my friend can't?" Tiffany crossed her arms. "We're a package deal so if Kalana can't stay, I'm not staying either." Kalana cuffed, nodding her head in agreement.

"It's just…having two full grown animals might cause some issues," reasoned Rowen.

"I see." Tiffany turned to Kalana, nodding her head. Kalana closed her eyes and her body started to glow and shrink. The glow soon disappeared and the Ronins' eyes widen at the results. Instead of a giant wolf-like creature, a cat like version took its place. Kalana meowed then jumped into Tiffany's awaiting arms.

"Ok, what kind of animal is that?" Kento asked.

"It's a combination of a cat and wolf," answered Tiffany, stroking Kalana's fur. "And before you ask, Kalana's a demon animal that I was able to purify and tame. She has two forms. The one you first saw, she looks and acts like a wolf. In this form, she looks like a cat but acts like a kitten. She can make all the noises a cat and a wolf would make." Tiffany smiled sweetly at the guys. "So there should be no problems with Kalana in this form, correct?" When the guys didn't answer, Tiffany strode past them and into the mansion.

"She's…different," commented Cye and the others just nodded in agreement.

 **END FLASHBACK**

"When I agreed to this training, I didn't think you would be this strict," commented Ryo, standing up.

Tiffany turned to him, hands on her hips. "And I didn't think you wouldn't be this terrible. Seriously, what is taking you so long to learn how to use these swords? It's been six weeks already!"

Ryo glared at her comment, his fists clenched as he tried to hold back his anger. Tiffany took a deep breath then let it out. "Look, I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, but I'm just trying to help you learn how to use the Fervor swords in a quick amount of time. However, I feel like you aren't taking my advice and aren't training with your friends. If you would take my advice, you would have mastered the swords by now."

A soft 'meow' was heard and both turned their attention to Kalana, who was on White Blaze's back. The tiger walked over to the pair and when they were close enough, Kalana jumped off and landed in Tiffany's arms. White Blaze continued towards Ryo and nuzzled his leg when he got next to his master.

"When you're ready to try again, you know where to find me," Tiffany stated then walked out of the area.

Ryo watched her go then turned his attention to his friend. "What should I do, boy?" he asked his friend, scratching him behind the ears. White Blaze stared at him and his face seemed to be saying 'really?' Ryo sighed, nodding his head. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Tiffany made her way to the mansion, absentmindedly stroking Kalana's fur as she thought about how her training with Ryo was going. She didn't know why but she felt like she couldn't connect with him for some reason. Tiffany has tried to be a nice instructor but when he wasn't listening to her, she started to become a strict master. Now, Ryo's complaining that she's being too strict with him.

Tiffany sighed. _What am I going to do with him?_

"You all right, Tiffany?" She turned her head to see Cye standing on the porch. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just…"

"Ryo?"

Tiffany nodded.

"I know he's hard to work with but he'll come around."

"I hope so, Cye. I hope so."

"Do you want me to make you some tea? You look a little stressed."

"That would be great, thank you." Tiffany followed Cye into the house and into the kitchen, sitting down on one of the chairs as Cye started making the tea.

Through the past six weeks, Tiffany had gotten close with everyone in a way. Cye and Rowen were like big brothers to her, always making sure that she was ok and were always there to take her mind off of things. She also became very good friends with Mia and Mia was happy that she finally had a girl to talk to and so was Tiffany. Yulie loved Kalana and would constantly play with the animal. Tiffany was happy that the young boy got along with Kalana and Kalana loves to hang out with Yulie. She was also happy that White Blaze and Kalana got along as well. At first, the two animals resisted each other but one day, Tiffany found Kalana on top of White Blaze and he didn't seem to mind but actually seemed to be happy. Ever since then, the two animals have been very good friends.

The only people that Tiffany had trouble getting close to were Ryo, Sage, and Kento. They were all resilient of her at first but she soon found something she could relate to with the others.

Tiffany was meditating in her room one day when Sage came in to get her for dinner. When he realized she was meditating, Sage apologized for interrupting her meditation but Tiffany waved him off, saying that it was ok. He asked about her way of meditating and Tiffany responded that she lights a lavender scented candle or incense for that helps her to concentrate and reduce stress. He nodded in understanding but a few days later, Sage asked to meditate with her and she agreed. Sage has now been someone to go to when she's stressed and needs someone to just relax with.

With Kento, it was harder to bond with him. There were no similarities between the two of them and Tiffany was close to giving up on trying to be friends with him. But then, when Tiffany began to train the guys, she asked for a volunteer and Kento was more than happy to accept. The two fought with all their strength and even though Tiffany beat his ass, Kento grinned at her and stated that he'll look forward to a rematch. That's when Tiffany realized the way to get to Kento was with fighting and Kento would always go to Tiffany to fight when the guys didn't want to train with him.

Tiffany didn't know what to do with Ryo. She suspected that because she was training Ryo and that she was frustrated with him was probably why he didn't really get along with her. She hoped that after Ryo finally mastered the swords that he would talk to her and they would be cool.

"Tiffany?"

She snapped out of her thoughts to see Cye standing next to her, holding two cups of tea. "Sorry." Tiffany took the cup from his hands and took a sip. The warm liquid with a hint of honey ran down her throat, immediately making her feel better. Cye took a seat next to her, taking a sip of his own tea.

"So, how's Ryo doing?" Cye asked.

Tiffany stared at her cup, running her finger against the side of it. "Has he been training with you and the others?"

Cye shook his head. "Not really. At first he did but after the second week of training, Ryo thought that he was ready to handle the swords. Even when he lost against you, Ryo didn't train with us. Even when Kento asked to train with him, Ryo declined."

Tiffany released a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what to do with him anymore. If I'm nice, he doesn't listen. If I'm strict, he complains." Tiffany looked at him. "Was he like this during the fight months ago?"

Cye was quiet as he thinks this question over. "No, he was very calm and assertive. He listened to our opinions and made a decision based off them. I think losing Maria changed him."

"Were they lovers?"

"More like a brotherly-sisterly love."

"They were related?"

"He said that he reminded her of…" Cye trailed off, turning his attention to the cup in his hands.

Tiffany reached over, grabbing Cye's hand. "I understand. It's personal and I'm guessing you think Ryo should explain it to me."

"Yeah."

Tiffany squeezed his hand in understanding. "At least he told you. I didn't tell him this, but when he fought against Saber Stryke, Ryo seemed more focused on his fight. He changed a lot from when I fought him to when he fought Saber Stryke."

"Really?"

"Yes. With Ryo telling you and the others what was on his mind cleared it so he could fight better."

"Have you told him yet?"

"No, but in truth, he doesn't want to listen to what I have to say. So why try talking to someone who doesn't want to listen?"

Cye nodded and the two sat in silence, finishing off their cup of tea. Unbeknownst to them, Ryo was standing near the entrance and he heard everything the two discussed.

* * *

The next day, Tiffany walked into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. She was greeted by Cye, Sage, and Mia and Tiffany returned with her own greeting. Tiffany walked over to the cabinets and pulled out some cereal. She poured the cereal into a bowl along with the milk then sat down and began to eat. "Are the others still asleep?" Tiffany asked the group when she realized that Ryo, Kento, and Rowen were not down here.

"No," Sage answered, getting up to wash his plate. "Ryo is training with Kento and Rowen."

Tiffany almost choked on her cereal when she heard that. She cleared her throat then looked up at Sage. "Ryo is training?"

"Yeah. After he ate, Ryo asked Kento and Rowen to train with him," explained Cye. "They've been training for almost an hour now."

Tiffany was certainly surprised by Ryo's sudden improvement. From what Cye told her yesterday, Ryo didn't want to train with the guys at all but all of a sudden, he asked them? She couldn't believe it; she needed to see it for herself.

Finishing her breakfast, Tiffany washed her bowl then walked outside to find Ryo fighting with Kento while Rowen sat on the side, watching the two. Tiffany walked over, standing behind Rowen as she watched the fight with her arms crossed over her chest.

Ryo slashed at Kento with the Fervor sword but Kento blocked it with his naginata and then forced Ryo back a couple of steps. Kento charged at his friend but Ryo side-stepped and watched as Kento raced past him. Ryo swiped his leg out, knocking Kento onto the ground and then pointed the sword at him. Kento stared at up at Ryo before a smile spread across his face. "Wow, I guess I got my ass handed to me." Ryo smirked then helped his friend up.

"Good job, Ryo."

Everyone turned around to see Tiffany standing there. "How long have you been standing there, Tiffany?" Rowen asked, surprised she was standing so close to him and he never heard her walk over to her.

"Not that long." Tiffany smirked at Kento. "I did see your ass get handed to you, though."

Kento playfully glared at her. "Of course you of all people would see that."

She chuckled. "Rowen, could you get Sage and Cye out here?"

"Sure." Rowen got up from his spot and walked into the mansion to retrieve his friends.

Tiffany turned his attention to Ryo. "I see that you are training with your friends. That is good."

"I heard what you and Cye said last night and it opened my eyes to what I needed to do," explained Ryo.

"You heard what we said?" Ryo nodded which got Tiffany thinking that maybe she should have talked to him like Cye had suggested. She was also impressed Ryo was able to beat Kento and with the Swords of Fervor as well! This made Tiffany think Ryo would be able to master the swords if he listened to her new plan.

Rowen walked out of the mansion with Cye and Sage following close behind him. Tiffany saw the trio approaching and she nodded her head in thanks to Rowen for getting them out here. "Now that you are all here, I can tell you all my new plan."

"Plan?" Sage asked, crossing his arms around his chest. "What plan?"

"I think she means training method, Sage," explained Cye.

"Yeah." Tiffany gestured to Ryo. "I witnessed Ryo beat Kento with the Fervor Swords and it got me thinking. If each one of you fights Ryo and he manages to defeat each of you with the swords, Ryo will be able to master the swords."

"Really, you think so?" Cye asked.

"Yes." Tiffany turned her attention Ryo. "I want you to train with Sage, Cye, and Rowen and beat each one of them, but I have to be there to witness it. I've already seen you beat Kento so you don't have to fight him."

"Why do you have to be present to see me beat my friends?" wondered Ryo.

"It's mostly for me to know you are telling the truth. You can train with your friends all you want but until I see you successfully beat them, I won't take your word for confirmation. I need to see you beat them for myself."

"So what you are saying is Sage, Cye, and I fight Ryo and you have to be present when he beats us?" confirmed Rowen.

Tiffany nodded. "I don't have to be present for every single fight but when Ryo thinks he's ready, one of you can come get me and I'll watch you fight. If Ryo loses, he has to train again but if he wins, he can stop training with the person he was fighting."

"What happens if I beat all of them?" Ryo asked.

"Then you will fight me. If you beat me, you'll have mastered the Fervor Swords and I'll take you to fix your Wildfire Swords."

"What happens if I lose against you?"

"You will have to retrain all your friends and beat them again."

"What?!" Kento exclaimed. "Why does Ryo have to fight us again if he loses against you?"

"Fighting against me over and over won't help as much. The more experience Ryo has fighting with different people with the swords will help him be more comfortable when he fights."

"I understand," Ryo said.

"So you agree to my new training method?"

Ryo nodded without a second thought. "Yes."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A week has passed since Ryo agreed to Tiffany's new training method and Ryo kept true to his word. He trained with his friends and when he felt ready, Ryo or one of the others called Tiffany over and she watched the fight, giving Ryo feedback or praise depending on how the fight turned out.

Ryo beat Cye within in a day and then after a few days, he beat Rowen. Fighting Sage was harder for Ryo since Sage was cool and collected as he fought. So it took Ryo some time until he was able to beat Sage a few times. Tiffany was called out to observe the fight between the two when Ryo felt he was ready.

* * *

Tiffany walked onto the field, standing in-between Rowen and Cye with Kento sitting on Cye's right. The group stared at Ryo and Sage who were standing a good distance between each other in full armor and holding their weapons. Neither moved an inch as they stared each other down. Ryo shifted slightly to the left then Sage charged at him and swung his nodaci at him but Ryo blocked it with his swords. He then pushed Sage back with his foot and advanced, taking the offense as he swung his katanas left and right at Sage.

The group held their breath in anticipation for the outcome of the fight. Cye, Kento, and Rowen have seen how far Ryo had come and they noticed significant changes in Ryo on how he fought with the swords. When he first had them, Ryo didn't feel as confident in the swords but now, Ryo was fighting with them as if he had them all along. Even Tiffany noticed the difference as she clutched her arms in anticipation. While she didn't show it, Tiffany was secretly rooting for Ryo. Tiffany was impressed that Ryo had followed through with his training and he had improved so much with the training. She felt Ryo was ready to fight her but she needed to see the outcome of this fight to know for sure.

Sage swiped his nodaci at Ryo which knocked him back a bit. Sage then went on the offense and all Ryo could do was block Sage's attacks. Ryo suddenly lost his balance and he fell to the ground. Tiffany let out a quiet gasp as she clenched her arms tightly. Ryo quickly glanced over at her then rolled out of the way before Sage could attack. From his spot on the ground, Ryo knocked Sage's legs out from underneath him and while Sage was down, Ryo got up, placed his foot on top of Sage's chest, and pointed the sword at Sage. Silence filled the area as everyone stared at Ryo and Sage, who weren't moving from their position. The silence was then broken when Tiffany started to clap her hands. "Well done, Ryo. You've proven that you are ready to face me using the swords."

Ryo sheathed his sword then helped Sage up from the ground. He turned his attention to Tiffany. "Thanks. It took a while but I feel more comfortable wielding these swords than when I first held them."

"That's good. Now, rest for a bit and then we'll fight to see if you are truly ready to be the wielder of the Fervor Swords."

Ryo nodded. "All right." The two stared at each other for a while then Tiffany turned around and headed towards the mansion. "Tiffany," Ryo called out. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Thank you…for helping me."

Tiffany was speechless for a moment before she replied, "You're welcome." She continued to walk towards the mansion and when she entered, Tiffany closed the door then leaned against it. _He thanked me?_ Tiffany wondered. _This entire time I trained him, I didn't think he would show a bit of kindness towards me. Is this a start?_ As Tiffany walked away from the door and over towards a window, she peered out to see Kento swing his arm across Ryo's shoulders, giving him a thumbs-up. Cye, Sage, and Rowen seemed to be giving Ryo their congrats as Ryo smiled at each of them. Tiffany smiled at this. It seemed Ryo was being his normal self, like Cye had told her. She walked away from the window to make herself some lunch before her fight with Ryo.

* * *

"I told you it wasn't going to be hard," Kento told Ryo.

"Really?" Ryo arched an eyebrow. "Because I don't remember any encouragement from you."

"Well, I said it in thought."

Ryo chuckled, shaking his head.

"You really feel more comfortable with the Fervor Swords?" asked Sage.

"Yeah." Ryo took out one of the swords and held it in front of him. "It's like when I use the Wildfire swords. I know the swords and so it's easier to fight with them. That's how it is with these swords."

"Now you just got to prove it to Tiffany," stated Rowen.

"She seemed convinced, though," Cye observed.

"No, she needs to see how I stand against someone who I don't know very well."

"What do you mean?"

"You guys are my friends which means I might have held back. I think Tiffany wants to see how I would do against an enemy who I'm not familiar with. A person who I would not hold back against." Ryo put away his sword once again. "Either way, I'll be ready to face her."

"Just make sure you don't lose. We wouldn't to start all over again," joked Kento.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kento." The guys smirked at Kento who put his hands up in surrender. "I meant that in a good way."

"Sure you did," said Rowen.

They all chuckled as they walked into the mansion to get some lunch but when they walked into the kitchen, they saw Tiffany standing by the stove, mixing something in a pot. On the table were some plates surrounding a bowl of rice. Tiffany felt a presence and she turned to left to see the Ronins standing in the doorway. "Good, you're all here." She turned her attention back to food. "Lunch is almost ready."

"I didn't know you could cook," Cye said.

"How do you think I survived two years in the forest?" Tiffany picked up the pot and carried it over to the table. "Plus, my sister and I would cook together when my mother wasn't feeling well."

"What about your dad?" asked Rowen.

Tiffany chuckled. "He can't cook to save his life. The first time he tried, he somehow managed to burn water. We don't know how but all I know is after that, my mother never let him near the kitchen to cook again."

"Where's Mia?" Kento asked.

"Right here." Mia walked into the kitchen then smiled at Tiffany. "Thank you for making lunch."

"Your welcome. You look frazzled when I walked in plus it's may way of saying 'thank you' for letting me stay here."

Yulie walked in with White Blaze and Kalana then. "It smells good in here."

Tiffany smiled. "I made chicken curry. My family usually eats it with rice but you can eat it with or without the rice." She turned her attention to the animals. "As for you two…" Tiffany grabbed two bowls from the counter and placed them on the floor. "You can have the leftover chicken." White Blaze immediately dug into the food but Kalana walked up to her master and rubbed herself against Tiffany's legs, purring as she did so, then walked over to her bowl and started eating. Tiffany smiled at the animals then sat down at the table with Mia and Yulie. The Ronins followed soon after and everyone piled the rice and the curry on their plates. Everyone took a bit of their food and the whole table was silent. Tiffany continued to eat, oblivious to what was happening until she noticed that no one was eating. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the food?"

"No, it's actually really good," commented Ryo.

"Good? Are you kidding? It's delicious!" Kento exclaimed then started to shove the food in his mouth.

"I guess all that practice with your sister and your time in the woods payed off," said Sage, taking another bite.

"It's a good thing we have another cook in the house now," said Cye.

Mia nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty hectic having only two cooks in the house."

"Really? I didn't think it was that bad," commented Tiffany.

"Have you seen how Kento eats?" Rowen questioned, gesturing to him as Kento puts another serving onto his plate.

Tiffany widens her eyes. "I see."

"You've never seen Kento eat?" Yulie asked.

"To be honest, I never really paid attention during dinner. I was always in my own little world so I never saw how he ate."

The conversation died down as everyone ate lunch in silence. Soon, all the food was gone and everyone was satisfied.

"All right, Tiffany cooked so someone else clean up," stated Mia.

"I'll do it," volunteered Cye, getting up.

"I'll help," Sage said, getting up as well.

"Ryo, we'll fight after they are done cleaning up in here," Tiffany said. "That should give you enough time to rest, right?" Ryo nodded. "Good. I'll be outside if you need me." She walked out of the kitchen with Kalana at her heels.

"She's an interesting person," commented Rowen.

"Yes, yes she is," answered Ryo, staring at the spot Tiffany was.

* * *

Outside, Tiffany sat down, crisscrossed, against a tree. Kalana curled up on Tiffany's lap and closed her eyes. Tiffany placed her hands on her knees and also closed her eyes. She took a deep breath through her nose and released it out her mouth. It wasn't long before she was deep in meditation, focusing on finding the center of herself. She knew once Ryo had mastered the swords, she would be the connection of the armors to the Inferno armor. When she wasn't training Ryo, Tiffany was training herself so that she would be physically _and_ mentally prepared when the powers of all the armors would flood through her.

Tiffany must have been too deep in meditation for she was snapped back to reality when someone grabbed her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open as she grabbed the wrist, intending to flip that person over, when she saw it was only Ryo. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Tiffany released a breath she didn't know was holding in. "That's all right." Kalana got off her lap as Tiffany stood up. "I'm guessing it's time?"

"Yes."

"Put on your armor."

Ryo nodded and did as he was told as Tiffany put her armor on as well. Once their armor was on, both warriors took out their weapons and stared each down. The others were in front of the mansion, watching the fight that was about to take place.

"Are you ready, Wildfire?"

"Yes."

Without hesitation, Tiffany charged at him. She jumped up into the air, bring her weapons down but Ryo held them up, blocking her attack just in time. He pushed her back then charged, swinging his katana at her. Tiffany blocked it and continued to block the string of attacks Ryo lent on which made Tiffany start to back up. As Ryo continued his assault, he suddenly jolted forward which in turn startled Tiffany and made her lose balance. Ryo raised his swords then brought them down but Tiffany back flipped and Ryo's swords pierced the ground. Tiffany did another back flip then brought her swords together at the hilt. She grabbed the area where the swords combined and they transformed into a bow. When she pulled the string back, an arrow formed and then she fired it at Ryo. He either dodged them or deflected them with his swords as Tiffany continued with her volley of attacks.

Ryo soon ran forward, continuing to doge the arrows and deflecting them. Tiffany realized her attacks weren't working so she grabbed the bow and twisted it. She pulled it apart and the bow transformed back into swords. She blocked Ryo's attacks then pushed him back, jumping into the trees. Ryo looked up and around as he listened for her. Every time a branch creaked or leaves shook, Ryo turned his attention towards it. After a while of this, Ryo stood in place and just listened. The creaking and rattling stopped and silence filled the area, only the wind could be heard whistling through the forest.

Light footsteps were heard and Ryo turned around, blocking Tiffany's attack. Tiffany, shocked by the outcome, was startled and Ryo took advantage of this. He pushed her back then knocked one of the swords out of Tiffany's hands. Ryo brought both his swords down again but Tiffany held up her sword, blocking it while using her other hand to hold Ryo's swords from striking her. Tiffany glanced over at her discarded sword and back at Ryo. Coming to a decision, she used her strength to push Ryo over then dove for her sword. Grabbing it, she turned onto her back and blocked the next attack from Ryo. Tiffany brought her feet up and placed them on Ryo's chest, pushing him back to give her enough room to get up. Twirling the swords in her hands, Tiffany went on the offensive, swing her swords at Ryo. He blocked her attacks as he started to back up until his back was against a tree. Ryo briefly glanced behind him then looked back at Tiffany. "You fought well, Wildfire," praised Tiffany, pointing her swords at him.

"So did you."

"Too bad you have to start over again." Tiffany charged at him but Ryo moved out of the way and Tiffany's swords pierced the tree.

"That's what you think!" Ryo pushed Tiffany away from the swords and then swiped her legs out from underneath her. Tiffany fell to the ground but when she tried to get up, she came face to face with the Fervor Swords and Ryo's stern gaze. Tiffany stared him down before a smile spread across her face. "Well done, Wildfire. You have proven to me you are ready to wield the Swords of Fervor."

Ryo moved the swords from Tiffany's face then helped her up. Tiffany walked over to the tree and retrieved her swords then powered down, her street clothes appearing back on her body. "Don't power down," Tiffany ordered. "There's something I need to do first."

"And it has to be down in my armor?"

"Yes, follow me." She lead Ryo over to the lake as the others followed close behind. Tiffany stood in front of the lake then turned to Ryo. "May I have the swords?" Ryo gave Tiffany the swords and she dipped them in the water, muttering a silent prayer. She took them out then turned back to Ryo. "Kneel." He did as he commanded. "Ryo of the Wildfire, do you promise to use the Swords of Fervor to protect the world from any and all evil that threatens us and to never use it for evil purposes."

"I promise," declared Ryo.

"I hereby dub you the new wielder of the Swords of Fervor," Tiffany stated while gently touching his shoulders with the swords. She turned around and cupped some water in her hands. Tiffany sprinkled the water over Ryo as she muttered another silent prayer. "With my blessing, you will be able to wield the swords and fully use their power." Tiffany raised her hand sideways in front of her face and bowed her head. "May you always follow your spirit." She lifted her head and lowered her hand. "You may rise and claim the swords as your own."

Ryo got up and Tiffany turned the swords in her hands so that the hilt was pointed towards him. Ryo grabbed the swords and lifted them up. "One more thing must be done before you can use the swords with the Inferno armor."

"What's that?" wondered Ryo.

Tiffany looked at the other Ronins. "You four, put on your armors." When she noticed their confused looks, Tiffany sighed. "Just do it." The four Ronins put on their armors then walked over to the pair. "Now, send your powers over to Ryo so that he can transform into the Inferno armor." Without questioning her, the Ronins did as she asked and sent their powers toward Ryo. _Here we go,_ thought Tiffany and prepared herself. Just as she suspected, the powers of the armors slammed into her and Tiffany staggered back, overwhelmed at their power. Each one of their powers surged through her and Tiffany clenched her teeth so that she wouldn't scream or cry out in pain. Tiffany breathed through her nose and out her mouth as she fought to gain control of their powers. She focused on each element: fire, water, earth, light, and air. Tiffany soon realized there was too much power and it was overwhelming her. There was only one way she could handle it. "Put your hands in the middle!"

"What-"

"Just do it! Hurry!"

The guys hurriedly placed their hands in the middle and Tiffany placed one hand on top of the pile and her other one underneath their hands. Tiffany squeezed her eyes shut as she focused on the powers while fighting to stay in control.

The Ronins glanced back and forth at each other, knowing that something wasn't right. They glanced back at Tiffany to see she was glowing the colors of all their armors. She was breathing heavily, desperately trying to stay in control. Tiffany suddenly threw her head back and let out a scream as power rushed out, returning back to the Ronins while some of it stayed within Tiffany. Feeling exhaustion take over, Tiffany's legs grew weak and it wasn't long before they gave out. Ryo quickly reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"No wonder you guys are so tired," commented Tiffany, breathing heavily. "You give out _way_ too much power."

"Are you going to be all right?" Cye asked.

"I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

"What was that for?" asked Sage.

"Yeah, you could have killed yourself," argued Kento.

"It was so that I could get adjusted to your power. I didn't think you would send out that much though."

"Did it fail?" Rowen asked. "We felt the power come back to us."

"I sent some of it back. Besides, if it failed, shouldn't Ryo be wearing Wildfire." It was then the guys noticed Ryo's Inferno armor was on him instead of Wildfire. "I reserved some of your power inside of me so that when this happens again, I can use this power to send messages of how much power is needed."

"So basically, you can communicate with our armors using the power you reserved on how much power is needed?"

Tiffany nodded then turned her attention to Ryo. "Now, you can use the Fervor Swords and tomorrow, I'll show you how to repair your Wildfire swords." Tiffany's eyes started to close. "Can someone take me to my room?"

The guys chuckled as they powered down, reverting to their street clothes. Ryo picked up Tiffany and carried her into the house with the others following close behind.

* * *

The power that Tiffany was able to control didn't go unnoticed. A demon was observing this exchange from his throne as his eyes glowed red. He needed to know if this girl changed anything with the Ronins' armors. Turning to one of his soldiers, the demon commanded, "Go down to earth and test the Inferno armor. I want to know how powerful it has become."

The soldier turned to the demon and knelt before him. "I will complete this task for you, my lord."


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 9

The next morning, Tiffany woke up feeling refreshed and renewed. She also felt stronger, more powerful. _It must be from the powers I absorbed from the others._ Tiffany got up from her bed, getting herself ready for the day. She walked downstairs into the kitchen to see Cye at the stove making breakfast and Kento, Ryo, and Mia were eating. "Morning," Tiffany greeted.

"Morning," Cye greeted in return, smiling at her. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel better but I'm starving."

"Want some eggs?"

"Got any bacon to go with it?"

Cye scooped a handful of scrambled eggs onto the plate along with three strips of bacon then handed it to Tiffany. She thanked him, poured herself a glass of orange juice, and then sat down at the table with the others.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Ryo asked.

"Ryo, I'm fine." Tiffany gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me." She turned back to her breakfast.

Ryo remained focused on her, thinking back to last night. When he had carried her into room, Ryo was worried that Tiffany wasn't all right for her breaths were very shallow and he feared she wasn't going to make it through the night. However, once he placed her on the bed, Tiffany breathed normally as if she didn't almost kill herself moments ago. Ryo stayed with her until he thought she would be okay through the night.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ryo snapped his attention to Tiffany who was staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

"It's…nothing."

Tiffany continued to stare at him, skeptical of his answer. She shrugged it off, though; as she went back to her meal. "You ready to have your Wildfire swords back to normal?"

"You have no idea how much I missed those swords."

"I would bet since you complained so much about it the first week of my training." Tiffany smirked at him. "I was surprised you didn't start whining."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"I thought it was hilarious."

Ryo gently punched Tiffany in the arm and she grabbed her arm in mock hurt. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Because you're being mean," Ryo teased, smirking.

"Whose being mean?" Sage asked, walking into the room.

"Ryo and Tiffany are flirting with each other," commented Kento.

"We're teasing each other," Tiffany exclaimed, her face red with embarrassment. " _Big_ difference."

Kento shrugged. "Sounded like flirting to me."

"We weren't," stated Ryo, his face also red.

Rowen walked into the room then and saw Ryo and Tiffany's faces were red. "Did I miss something?"

"These two were flirting."

"Kento!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Ok, I think I'm done here," stated Tiffany, getting up from her seat. She carried her empty dish to the sink. "If anyone needs me, I'll be outside." She then left the room.

Once Tiffany was gone, Ryo slapped Kento upside the head. "Ow, what was that for?!"

"Really? You're really asking that question?"

"I was just telling the truth!"

"No you weren't."

"I have to agree with Kento on this one," commented Cye. "It did sound like you were flirting."

"Ha!"

"Whatever," Ryo mumbled, getting up.

"Hey, I'm sorry all right?"

"No, I'm not leaving because of that. I was going to ask Tiffany how to repair my Wildfire swords." Ryo put his dish in the sink then walked out. "I'll see you guys later." He walked out of the kitchen then outside to find Tiffany sitting on the porch, absentmindedly petting Kalana. "Sorry about them," Ryo apologized, sitting beside her.

Tiffany jumped at Ryo's words, placing a hand over her chest. "Geeze, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry."

"Anyway, it's ok. So what are you doing out here? Besides apologizing to me."

"I wanted to ask how to fix the Wildfire Swords."

"Oh, right. Well…how about I show you?" Tiffany stood up. "Kalana." The demon looked up then jumped off the porch. Her eyes started to glow as did her body and soon, Kalana's body was in its wolf form. Tiffany turned to Ryo and smiled. "Follow me."

Ryo whistled and White Blaze appeared beside him. Tiffany and Ryo got on their animals' backs and Tiffany told Kalana where to go. The wolf took off with White Blaze and Ryo following behind.

* * *

From on top of a mountain, the soldier hidden in a brown cloak watched the Ronin and the girl head off towards their destination. The soldier's eyes glowed red then it took off after them, following them at a distance so they wouldn't suspect anything.

* * *

Soon, Tiffany and Ryo arrived at the base of a volcano and the two, along with Kalana and White Blaze, climbed to the top. "This is where I'll fix my swords?" Ryo asked, looking inside the volcano.

"Yes. The swords and your armor are one so where your armor gets strength, your swords can also be repaired," explained Tiffany. "First, put on your armor." Ryo nodded and did as he was told and the armor of Wildfire soon appeared on him. "Then go into the volcano and place your broken swords in the lava. It should repair your swords and they'll be as good as new."

"All right." Ryo jumped into the volcano and landed on the bottom. He looked over the lava then took out his swords. Ryo held them in his hands then looked back at the lava. Taking a deep breath, Ryo pierced the lava with the broken swords and waited. The lava bubbled around the weapons, growing more and more aggressive until lava shot up, carrying the swords with them. The lava hovered up for a bit then it died down and the column of lava dispersed, leaving the swords lying in the flames. Ryo grabbed the hilt of the swords and pulled them out, revealing the newly repaired swords. "Amazing," Ryo muttered, inspecting his new swords.

Back at the top, Tiffany was sitting at the edge of the volcano, her feet dangling in the air. Both animals were lying down on either side of her, peering over the edge. Tiffany suddenly had this feeling that someone was watching her. She quickly glanced behind her but saw no one there.

Kalana sensed something was wrong as well and turned her attention from the volcano to where Tiffany was looking. Seeing no one, Kalana looked up at her mistress and whined softly. Tiffany looked down at Kalana and smiled. "It's nothing, Kalana." She rubbed the wolf's head reassuringly.

Ryo jumped out of the volcano and landed near the trio. Tiffany smiled at his return. "Are they fixed?" Ryo took out the swords and showed them to her. "Wow, that's really good; almost like a blacksmith fixed them."

"Yeah, I didn't imagine they would be fixed so quickly."

"Now you can fight with your Wildfire swords again. Aren't you happy?"

Ryo smirked at her. "Why don't we go home and tell everyone the good news?"

"Sure." The four walked away from the volcano but Ryo suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Is something wrong?" He turned around, looking past Tiffany's shoulder. She followed his gaze but saw nothing there. Tiffany turned her attention back to him. "Ryo?"

Ryo looked back at Tiffany and smiled. "It's nothing, let's go." Tiffany nodded and the group continued their walk down the side of the volcano. A shadow appeared in the smoke from the volcano, staring at their retreating figures.

Once at the bottom, Tiffany turned to Ryo. "Let's have a race."

"What?"

"Let's race to see which one of us gets home first. I know Black Blaze merged with White Blaze so I want to see if he's fast enough to beat Kalana," explained Tiffany.

Ryo smirked. "You're on."

"All right." The two got on their respective animals' backs. "Ready…GO!" Kalana and White Blaze took off, racing towards the mansion.

* * *

"I'm starving!" Kento whined, plopping down on the couch.

"We know," replied Sage, barely looking up from the book he was reading.

"What's taking Mia so long?" Just after Tiffany and Ryo left, Mia had taken Yulie and the two went food shopping. It had only been two hours and already Kento was hungry.

"Why do you have to wait for Mia?" Rowen asked, walking into the room. "There's some snacks still in the kitchen."

"Don't say that for now we really won't have any food until Mia comes back," said Cye.

"I won't eat all of the food," said Kento then mumbled. "Maybe."

Cye gave Rowen a pointed look then went back to watching TV.

"Does something feel off to you?" Sage asked the others, glancing at them.

"What do you mean, Sage?" asked Cye.

"I feel something is going to happen. Like we are going to have to fight soon."

"I hope so. It's been pretty boring these past couple of weeks," commented Kento.

"Are you worried about Ryo and Tiffany?" Rowen asked. "That someone might attack them?"

"If you think about it, Ryo's Inferno armor is very powerful and Tiffany can now help control its power."

Cye, Kento, and Rowen look amongst each other, thinking over what Sage just said.

"It has been a while since we were attacked," stated Cye.

"Do you think someone is planning an attack?" Rowen wondered.

"Whatever happens, we will send them back to where they came from," confirmed Kento, enclosing one hand over his fist.

"Let's just hope nothing bad happens to those two and that they come home soon," replied Sage, glancing out the window.

* * *

On one of the backroads, Kalana and Tiffany were in the lead with White Blaze and Ryo following close behind. Tiffany briefly turned back, smirked at Ryo, then paid attention to what was in front of her. Ryo narrowed his eyes at her then gently patted White Blaze's side, signaling him to go faster. White Blaze pushed himself further until he was neck and neck with Kalana. Ryo smirked at Tiffany who smirked back at him, her eyes narrowed playfully. The two animals were still side by side for another good mile, neither breaking ahead until they came next to a forest area. It was there Tiffany saw something weaving in and out of the trees. She thought it was an animal at first but soon realized it was a hooded figure following them. Her playful mood disappeared and she tapped Kalana on the side. Kalana glanced at her mistress but her eyes also caught the hooded figure. The demon wolf skidded to a stop, giving Tiffany time to hop off, then Kalana charged at the figure.

Ryo saw this happen and ordered White Blaze to stop. He got off the tiger and hurried over to Tiffany's side. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's following us," stated Tiffany. She held out her hand and her bow appeared out of thin air. She grabbed it then separated it into two swords, pointing them toward the forest.

Rumbling was heard and Ryo looked up to see dark clouds rolling in. _It can't be,_ Ryo thought as he glanced back at the forest. The trees rustled and both warriors prepared themselves for a fight. Kalana jumped out of the forest, looking around the area, alert for anything that might pop out. Tiffany was taken back; she could have sworn she saw something. Ryo, however, noticed something out of the corner of his eye. "Look out!" Ryo pushed her out of way just in time to miss a spear aimed for her.

"Thank you," Tiffany replied. Ryo nodded and both turned their attention to the soldier standing where the two once stood.

"Who are you?" Ryo demanded.

The soldier didn't reply, only stared the two down with red piercing eyes. Kalana stood next to Tiffany, her teeth bared at the foe. White Blaze stood behind the enemy, his teeth also bared. The soldier briefly glanced at the tiger then back at his opponents.

"Why are you here?" asked Tiffany.

"None of your business," snarled the soldier.

Tiffany's anger flared at the soldier's remark. _I'm so going to enjoy killing him,_ Tiffany thought to herself.

The soldier set his sights on Ryo, who instantly crouched into a fighting position. "If you want a fight, then we'll give you one. Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!" Cherry blossoms and rivers surrounded Ryo as his armor appeared on him. He drew out his katanas and glared at the soldier.

"I see your swords have been repaired," observed the soldier, grabbing the whip around his neck and pulled slowly. The whip unraveled itself from the enemy's neck.

 _How does he know about that?_ Tiffany wondered. Her mind raced back to the presence she sensed earlier and it all clicked. "You're the one I sensed earlier at the volcano," Tiffany figured out.

"Very perceptive, girl, but I'm not here to fight you. I'll show mercy on you and let you go home before you get hurt."

The wind howled as the group stood in silence. Ryo worriedly glanced at Tiffany, opening his mouth to speak, but was stopped by Tiffany's next words. "You're going to regret those words," Tiffany growled. "Armor of Spirits, come forth!" Light wrapped around Tiffany's body, replacing her street clothes with the black and purple armor. Tiffany pulled the hood over her head and a mask appeared around the lower half of her face, covering her mouth and nose. She glared at the soldier, fire dancing in the pools of her sapphire eyes. Clutching the swords, Tiffany charged at the soldier. He backed up as Tiffany swung, her sword barely missing his head. She thrusted her other sword outward but the soldier grabbed it with his hand. He took Tiffany's moment of shock to bring her closer and pulled his fist back. However, another sword sliced the air between the two as the soldier released Tiffany. He glanced to his side to see Ryo standing beside her.

"I see I have underestimated you." The soldier raised his whip, twirling it around before whipping it at the two warriors. They jumped out of the way as the whip struck the ground, creating a hole.

"Damn," Tiffany muttered.

"Impressive, isn't it." Rope wrapped tightly around Tiffany's throat. She gasped for air, trying desperately to pull the rope away from her neck. "Try all you like but once my weapon snags you, it won't let go." The soldier pulled and dragged Tiffany towards him. He spun her around once then the whip released its hold, sending Tiffany into the trees.

"Tiffany!" Ryo exclaimed.

"I'm fine," came a strained reply.

Kalana released a loud growl then pounced on the soldier. He threw the wolf off him but was caught off guard by White Blaze who was able to snatch the cloak concealing the enemy. As the cloak fluttered to the ground, Ryo got a good look at his enemy. A dark blue armored foe stood before him with red dreadlocks and bug-eye shaped eyes stared at him.

"Who are you?" Ryo demanded.

"My name is Sun Devil," replied the soldier, holding a spear he had been hiding underneath his cloak. "I've been sent by my master to test your armor."

"And who is he? Who is your master?"

"That's for me to know." Sun Devil chuckled, aiming the spear at Ryo.

"Arrow Shock Wave!" Sun Devil heard the shout and jumped out of the way, avoiding the sure-kill that was aimed at him.

"I see your friends are here."

"Thanks guys," Ryo said as his friends joined his side.

"Another one?" Sage exclaimed.

"Let's give him a free trip home," stated Cye.

"Careful, this one's quicker than the others," warned Ryo.

"Where's Tiffany?" asked Rowen, checking the area.

"She couldn't handle my power," chucked Sun Devil.

"That's what you think!"

"What?" Sun Devil was met with a punch to the face. Tiffany glared at him as she combined her swords, transforming into a bow. She swung her bow, whacking Sun Devil with it. "Stop." _Whack._ "Insisting." _Thud._ "That." _Smack._ "I'm." _Clunk._ "Weak!" With on final hit, Tiffany struck Sun Devil with all her might then readied her bow. Pulling the string back, an arrow appeared in the bow, lighting up with energy. "Go to hell you son of a bitch! Moonlight Typhoon!" She released the arrow, sending the sure-kill towards Sun Devil. The blast exploded when it hit its target, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Holy shit," muttered Kento.

"To think she could have used that power on us," observed Sage.

"Good thing she didn't use it on us," Rowen said.

"Yeah, good thing," agreed Ryo, knowing that Tiffany could have used this power on him when they were training.

"Is he gone?" Cye wondered, staring at the hole that was created from Tiffany's attack.

Tiffany stared at the ground after the dust cleared. "Still think I'm weak?!" she taunted.

A spear shout out from the ground, grazing the side of Tiffany's head which knocked her hood back. Sun Devil appeared in front of her, grabbing the spear and hitting her with the backend of it. Tiffany tumbled to the ground and Sun Devil stood over her, spear raised, when Kalana jumped in, swiping her claw at the demon, clawing out one of his eyes. Sun Devil screamed in pain. "Wretched beast!" Sun Devil whacked her with the spear, sending the wolf into a nearby tree.

"Kalana!" Tiffany cried out but her cry was short lived when the whip wrapped around her throat again, squeezing tightly.

"Tiffany!" yelled Rowen.

"Let her go!" Ryo exclaimed, running towards the two with the others following suit.

Sun Devil turned to them then raised his spear. "You will not interfere!" The demon struck the ground and from it, black ice formed, heading towards the group. The Ronins' legs stilled as the black ice formed over their feet.

"What the?!" The warriors tried to break the ice but it didn't even chip as the ice slowly traveled up the warriors' legs.

"This is no normal ice," explained Sun Devil. "It will not break with your weapons. Don't worry; it won't be the thing that kills you. I still need to test your armor." The demon turned his attention on Tiffany. "As for you." Grabbing a fistful of her hair, Sun Devil yanked Tiffany's head back, exposing her face. Sun Devil raised his spear, the point gleaming menacingly at her. "I'll make sure you stay down for good."

"No!" Tiffany raised her hand the same time Sun Devil plunged down his spear. Instead of hitting skin, the spear pierced the earth.

"What?!" Sun Devil took a step back to see a chuck of earth had raised from the ground. Even Tiffany was shocked at this new development. _How did I…?_ Tiffany wondered but shook these thoughts out of her head. _No time for that now._ Yanking the whip away from Sun Devil's grasp, Tiffany removed the whip from her neck and used it against Sun Devil, whipping the spear out of the demon's hands. Tiffany drew the weapon back and lashed out again but Sun Devil caught it with his hand. Tiffany struggled to pull it back as Sun Devil grabbed a few daggers from behind his back.

"Tiffany, look out!" warned Cye.

Sun Devil threw the knives at Tiffany and she raised up her hand but as she did, the earth raised up and went in the direction Tiffany's hand went. The daggers pierced the earth, shielding Tiffany from the attack.

"How is this possible?!" Sun Devil exclaimed.

Tiffany tried to think of what could have happened; she was never able to do this before. Tiffany thought back to when she absorbed some of the Ronins' powers. _Could it be from their power?_ _Only one way to find out._ Tiffany glanced down at her hand and concentrated, thinking of fire. She slowly wiggled her fingers, imagining that fire was weaving through her fingers and as she imagined it, a small glow formed around her hand until fire lit her hand up. Tiffany's eyes were wide. "Impossible," she mumbled. Tiffany was snapped out of her shocked state by Sun Devil claiming his whip back.

"I won't let you use this new power against me!" Sun Devil exclaimed, electrifying his whip then whipped it at Tiffany.

White Blaze jumped up and took the hit, electricity surrounding his body. The tiger glared at Sun Devil then his eyes turned red. White Blaze raised his head, releasing a loud and long roar. Thunder rumbled in the sky in response to White Blaze's roar then lightening pierced the ground where White Blaze stood. Fire appeared from the strike, forming around White Blaze and from the fire, an armored black tiger stood, resembling a lot like…

"Black Blaze?" Tiffany questioned.

"But how?" Ryo wondered as well. He didn't understand how White Blaze could have become Black Blaze and have his armor. He knew that Black Blaze gave his life to White Blaze so that his friend could live again but he didn't think that would change anything. _Does a part of Black Blaze live inside of White Blaze?_ Ryo thought. A soft red glow coming from his swords caught Ryo's attention. When he looked at them, Ryo noticed that his armor was glowing red as well.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ryo glanced behind him, noticing that his friends' armors were glowing the color of their armors.

"Are the armors trying to tell us to form the Inferno?" wondered Cye.

"If the armors are acting this way, shouldn't we try to control its power?" Ryo asked.

"No way am I going down to this demon," spat Kento.

"This is the only way to defeat him," Sage said. The ice was already at their waists, slowly making its way up.

"But-"

"It's ok, Ryo," Tiffany reassured, smiling slightly at him. "I believe in you."

Ryo watched her before nodding slowly. He turned to Sun Devil, narrowing his eyes at him as the power of the armors flooded into him. Ryo shed the armor of Wildfire and intense flames surrounded the Ronin as pieces of the Inferno armor slowly came together to form the white armor.

Black Blaze waltzed over to Ryo's side and Ryo grabbed the Swords of Fervor, pulling them out of their holder.

"So, this is the Inferno armor with Swords of Inferno," observed Sun Devil. He started laughing as he readied his spear. "My mission is complete. My master only wanted to see your white armor and swords."

"Tell me who your master is," demanded Ryo.

"Like I told the girl earlier, it's none of your business." Sun Devil raised his spear into the air. "But I'll leave a parting gift for you." Lightening flashed and then struck the spear. "A tomb of black ice!" Sun Devil pierced the ground and ice quickly formed around the Ronin Warriors, encasing them in the ice. The demon observed this. "I'm surprised by how easily they were frozen. They're armor must not be that powerful."

"Not yet it is."

Sun Devil glanced back at Tiffany as she struggled to stand, glowing the colors of the armors. Even though the power inside of her wasn't as bad, Tiffany was still trying to get used to this new sensation flooding through her. She got the powers under control, sending the needed power over towards Ryo. The ice started to glow until red beams shot through and the ice broke. _How did he break free?_ Sun Devil wondered in amazement. He glanced at Tiffany, back at Ryo, and back at Tiffany again. _So, she controls Inferno's power._

Ryo swiped his swords around, creating fire as he spun the swords. "Rage of Inferno!" Ryo sent the column of fire over towards Sun Devil, encasing him in the fire.

"What tremendous power!" Sun Devil exclaimed. "Now my master will know what to expect." He screamed in pain as the fire burned his body, leaving no trace of him.

Thunder rumbled and lightening crashed as Ryo's attack faded off. The rumbling and flashing continued until the lightening turned a sinister red and flashed onto the ground, producing a red gate. The gate slowly opened, revealing a golden light. "You have improved, Ronin Warriors," a smooth, familiar voice started. A voice that the Ronins thought was long gone.

"Talpa?!" Ryo exclaimed. "You're alive?!"

"Yes, and I'm awaiting the day to welcome you into the Dynasty."

"What is he talking about?" Rowen wondered.

"Does he think the armors still belong to him?" asked Sage.

"They still do, Sage of Halo. I'm pretty sure the Priestess would be able to tell you that."

The Ronins turned their attention to Tiffany, who's eyes were wide with terror.

"Yes, I know about you Priestess, descendent of the Ancient One." Talpa's laughter filled the area. "You would do well to join me as my Priestess of Darkness."

"Like hell I will," Tiffany mumbled, taking a step back.

Talpa laughed once again. "I would look after this one, Ronin Warriors. Don't want the same thing to happen to your other friend." His laughter carried off as the gates shut and then disappeared from view.

"Talpa can't be alive." Kento shook his head in disbelief.

"This can't be happening," Cye mumbled. "Not again."

The Ronin Warriors had come to a painful realization Talpa was back and so was the Dynasty. They would have to fight to keep the mortal world safe again from Talpa's clutches. Talpa's last words also carried a heavy weight on the guys, especially Ryo. He glanced over at Tiffany, staring into her eyes. He could see the despair and terror in them as if she knew what was going to happen. As Ryo stared at her, thinking over what Talpa had said, his eyes narrowed in determination. _He's not going to touch her,_ Ryo told himself. _I'll make sure of it._

* * *

 **Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's been a while, it has been a rough few weeks.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 10

"How can Talpa still be alive?!" Kento exclaimed. "We saw him die!"

The Ronins and Tiffany recovered from their shock of Talpa being alive and made their way back to the mansion. When they entered, Mia smiled to greet them but stopped at their solemn expressions. It was then she learned of Talpa's resurrection and she, herself, couldn't believe what she had heard. Kento was the first one to break the silence after the room was quiet for a few minutes.

"He must have had some way to come back to life," inputted Sage.

"But who?" asked Cye. "His whole castle was destroyed when Ryo defeated him."

Tiffany snapped her head up and stared at the Ronins. "Did you know if Talpa had a priest working for him?"

They shook their heads and Tiffany cursed under her breath.

"Do you know something that we don't?" Rowen asked.

"I've heard of priests and priestesses who are so powerful they can bring people back from the dead. If Talpa does have someone like this on his side, it's no wonder he came back to life."

"But should have the priest been destroyed along with the Dynasty?" Ryo questioned.

Tiffany crossed an arm over her chest while her other hand grabbed her chin as she thought about the question. "The only way the priest could have survived is if he was a spirit. Other than that, I don't know."

"Talpa did have these weird spirits floating around his castle," Sage remembered, thinking back to the fight in the Dynasty. "I don't know what they were but they very loyal to Talpa. They were called…I think it started with an 'N'."

Tiffany's eyes widen. "Nether Spirits?!"

"Yeah."

"Oh no." Tiffany lowered herself onto the recliner, staring off into the distance. Ryo walked over to her and knelt down beside her. "What is it?" Tiffany didn't answer; she was off in her world. Ryo gently turned her head to face him. "Tiffany, what's wrong?"

"When I was training with the Ancient One, he told me about certain types of spirits and demons that could not be purified and Nether Spirits were one of them."

"Did he say why?" Cye asked.

"He said that Nether Spirits are created by another spirit who has the power of a priest. This spirit is known as the High Priest and depending on who the High Priest is serving; the Nether Spirits will be used for good or evil."

"So basically we're screwed," summarized Kento.

"Not exactly. Lucky for you, I know how to kill the Nether Spirits. Just kill the High Priest and the others will die with him."

"I'm so happy you're on our side."

Tiffany chuckled at Kento's comment.

"So, what happens now?" Rowen asked.

"We're going to fight again," answered Ryo. "It is our job as Ronin Warriors to protect this world from threats like Talpa."

"This time we'll make sure Talpa is gone for good," Kento stated, raising a fist in the air.

"We have to keep our world safe," agreed Cye. "Even if it means fighting again."

"This means we will also have to be on our toes. We can't have Talpa catch us by surprise," said Sage.

"We need to be ready for anything," said Rowen.

"That means I need to get my power under control," Tiffany said, getting up from the recliner.

"Speaking of which, what was with that new power you got?" wondered Kento.

Tiffany shrugged. "I wish I knew. This has never happened before."

"Do you think it's from the power you absorbed from the Ronin Warriors?" Mia questioned.

"Maybe. Either way, I need to learn how to properly use this new power so I don't do something stupid."

"Wait, you're going to fight?" Ryo asked.

"Yes. In case you forgot, I have to be there to control your armor. I can't be far away when you summon the Inferno armor for I won't be able to sense where you are."

"How come you can't sense us when you're farther away?" Cye asked.

"It depends on the location. Let's say you were outside the mansion and I was inside then I would be able to sense you. But if you were in another city or another realm, then I wouldn't be able to sense you and would have a hard time giving out how much power you need. Being close to you and seeing for myself what's going on can give me insight as to how much power you need."

Ryo nodded. He wanted Tiffany to stay here, to stay away from the danger they would probably face. But he has come to know that Tiffany would put up a fight to go with and now, with this new information Tiffany gave them, it would be impossible to convince her to stay here otherwise.

"We'll start training tomorrow; give us some time to rest a bit after the battle we had."

A loud growling was heard and everyone glared at Kento, whose hands were up in surrender. "It wasn't me this time!"

"Sorry," Tiffany apologized in a weak voice.

"That was you?!" exclaimed Rowen.

"I haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning."

"I'll start making some dinner." Mia walked into the kitchen with Cye following to help her out.

"I think I'll start some training early," stated Tiffany. "I'll be outside if you need me." She headed towards the door but Ryo grabbed her arm. "What is it?"

"You're staying here."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not leaving this house."

"You want to rephrase that, Wildfire?" Tiffany took a step closer, her eyes narrowed in anger. Ryo stood his ground as Tiffany continued to walk towards him.

"Stop this!" exclaimed Sage, getting in-between the two. "We don't need to be fighting amongst each other right now!"

Tiffany stared at him then released a frustrated sigh before marching up the stairs and to her room. She slammed the door closed and paced around the room. _How dare he tell me what I can and can't do?!_ Tiffany grumbled underneath her breath as she continued to pace the room. She came to a stop and sat on her bed, running her fingers through her hair. Something soft rubbed against her arm and Tiffany looked over to see Kalana staring at her, letting out a soft meow. Tiffany smiled, picking up the cat and placing her on her lap, stroking the animal's fur. Kalana purred happily, arching her back as Tiffany glided her hand over her back. "What do I do, Kalana? I know he wants to make sure I'm safe but he can't always be there." Tiffany sighed. Getting nowhere in her thoughts, Tiffany stretched out on the bed and closed her eyes.

* * *

Three figures walked through a dim lighted hallway towards a room at the end of the hall. One of the three held a torch with a blue flame burning, illuminating the three as they headed towards the room. When they got at the doors, another one of the three pushed the door open, revealing a dark room. "Who dares enter?" a voice called out from the darkness.

"It is us, Sekhmet, Dais, and Cale," answered Sekhmet. "Your Dark Warlords."

"Enter, Warlords."

"Yes Master." The three entered the room and as they passed an unlit torched, it lit up with a blame flame. Once at the front of the room, Sekhmet, who was holding the torch, lowered it to a pile of wood. "You wanted to see us, sire?"

"Yes." The blue flame shined on a throne, revealing Talpa sitting on top of it. "From our last battle, the Ronin Warriors have gotten stronger with this new armor and the Priestess is helping them strengthen their armor. We must strike first if we are to gain the upper hand in this war."

"What would you like us to do, Master?" Dais asked.

Talpa thought this question over in his head. "They are weaker when they are separated. I want each of you to capture a Ronin and bring him to me."

"What about the girl?" wondered Cale.

"I have a plan for her already. Now go out and complete your tasks."

The Warlords bowed before him. "Yes, Master."

* * *

Tiffany's eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed. Something was wrong, very wrong. She glanced out the window, her eyes narrowing. Kalana glanced up at her mistress from her place on Tiffany's lap and meowed softly. When Tiffany didn't respond, Kalana rubbed her head against Tiffany's arm, hoping for a response but got none. Kalana licked Tiffany's hand and Tiffany jerked in surprise. Tiffany calmed herself then rubbed the cat's head. "We have to go." Kalana jumped down to let Tiffany get up. Tiffany got dressed and quietly opened the door, trying not to disturb anyone. She quietly made her way down the hall and down the stairs.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Tiffany turned towards the voice and saw Ryo standing there by the stairwell, arms crossed over his chest. "Oh, hey Ryo." Ryo narrowed his eyes at her and Tiffany sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I'm going behind your back, but I need to get something."

"And what do you need to get?"

"There's an ancient jewel I have that will help us in our battle. I need to go back to the hut and get it."

Ryo stared at her for a bit before sighing. "Like I said, you're not going anywhere." Tiffany opened her mouth to argue. "Without me."

Tiffany stood speechless for a moment. "You're coming with me?" Ryo nodded, pushing himself off the wall. "You could have just told me from the beginning that I had to bring one of you with me if I wanted to go out."

"I thought about that, but you're too stubborn to listen to me."

"Speak for yourself." Tiffany headed out the door while Ryo stood back, momentarily stunned. He grumbled under his breath then followed Tiffany out the door.

* * *

Cale watched the two warriors with a smile on his face go further and further from the mansion. He looked back at his comrades and nodded and they smirked. The three set their sights on the mansion as dark clouds moved in.

* * *

A shiver went down the Ronins' spines, knowing that something wasn't right. They confirmed their suspicions when White Blaze started growling. The guys got up from their seats, staring outside to see the dark clouds forming in the sky. They put on their sub-armors and raced out the mansion. Just then, an army of soldiers appeared a foot away from the mansion, weapons poised, ready to fight.

"What are they doing here?!" exclaimed Rowen.

"Probably looking for a fight," Kento stated.

"We got to get them away from the house," said Cye, glancing behind him.

"Let's split up, lead them away," ordered Sage.

"But what about Ryo and Tiffany?"

"They left, I don't know where they went. Just lead them away and come back to the house when you're done." The guys nodded and split off into different parts of the forest and the army also split off, following a Ronin.

* * *

Tiffany maneuvered around the small hut, searching for the jewel. "Where is it? Where is it?" She started throwing stuff out of the hut and Ryo and Kalana avoided the stuff flying at them.

"Um… Tiffany, what are you looking for?" Ryo asked, ducking his head from another flying object.

"A necklace."

Something hit Ryo on the head and as it fell, Ryo caught the object. "Is it this?" Ryo held up a red, sea-shell shaped jewel on a green chain. Tiffany turned around and relaxed when she saw the jewel. "Yes, that's it." She walked over and grabbed the jewel from his hands.

"What's so special about the necklace?"

"It protects the wearer from all evil spirits and helps to get rid of the spirits. I thought that since we might be going into Talpa's castle, we would need this to protect us from them."

"There is no way I can convince you to stay here?"

Tiffany looked up at him, giving him a small smile. "I know you want to protect me, but there is no way I can stay behind. You need me there with you to power your armor."

"Just promise me you don't do anything dangerous."

"Ryo-"

Ryo cupped Tiffany's face in his hands. "Promise me, please." Tiffany stared into his eyes, seeing the worry etched into his face. She placed a hand on top of one of Ryo's hands and held it. "I promise." Ryo stroked his thumb against Tiffany's cheek, staring deep into her eyes. He moved one hand to the back of her head, slightly stroking her hair, as he leaned down and his lips lightly brushed against Tiffany's lips when Kalana started growling. The two jumped apart, staring at the demon. "What is it, Kalana?" Tiffany asked. Kalana transformed into her wolf form and took off into the forest. "Kalana!" The two warriors raced after the demon.

* * *

Rowen fired another arrow at a solider and it crumbled to the ground, black smoke coming from the armored remains. He panted heavily, looking over the remains of the soldiers he destroyed. _Finally, they're gone,_ Rowen thought to himself. He started walking back to the mansion when a high pitch laugh filled the air. Blue flower petals danced past Rowen and a figure stood in the distance, hiding itself in the shadows. "These are the mighty Ronin Warriors," a smooth voice said, the words slightly echoing as the person spoke. "I'm a little disappointed."

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" Rowen demanded.

"Your other friends didn't do so well against my comrades." A holographic image appeared, showing Rowen the fights Sage, Cye, and Kento went through. Each of them didn't see the Warlords sneak up on them, knocking them out, and carrying them into the Dynasty.

"No," mumbled Rowen.

The figure laughed again, echoing in the area. "They didn't even see them coming and the Warlords aren't that quiet. But that's ok." Rowen saw the glint of a sword being pulled out. "I just need you to be my messenger."

"Messenger for what?"

Before the figure could reply, a low growl filled the air. Kalana swiped her claw but figure dodged it, jumping into the open area. Ryo and Tiffany appeared then, standing next to Rowen. "What's going on?" Ryo questioned, staring at the person before them.

A young woman with long blue hair in a high pony tail and sapphire eyes stared at them. She wore a teal tank top with white pants and white elbow high gloves. She had on dark brown boots, an armored plate around her hips and her chest with a golden amulet laying on top of her chest plate. She held two golden sais, poised and ready to fight. "Who is she?"

Tiffany stood still, staring at the woman with wide eyes. "Kayura?"

Ryo and Rowen stared at her but Tiffany didn't acknowledge them. "Kayura is that you?"

"How do you know me?" the lady, Kayura, asked.

"Don't you remember me?"

"Why should I?"

Tears filled Tiffany's eyes as she continued to stare at Kayura but when the jewel started to glow, Tiffany's gaze hardened. "You son of bitch!" Tiffany swiped her hand out, water covering her arm then freezing as Tiffany charged at Kayura, swiping her make-shift sword at her. Kayura dodged it, standing on top of a tree. "I'll leave you for now, Ronin Warriors. You can come get your friends when you're ready." She then disappeared.

"What is she talking about?" Ryo asked.

"Well, according to her, Talpa has Sage, Cye, and Kento," explained Rowen.

Anger coursed through Tiffany's body as she gazed up at the sky. "I'll kill you! Do you hear me, Talpa?! I'll fucking kill you for this!"

Ryo grabbed Tiffany and spun her to face him. Shock covered his face when he noticed the silent tears running down Tiffany's face. "He'll pay for this," swore Tiffany.

"Why? What did Talpa do?"

"That woman, Kayura, she's my sister."

* * *

 **Please review**


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Tiffany, Ryo, and Rowen were walking back to the mansion in silence. Neither talked amongst each other mostly because Tiffany was leading the trio and Ryo and Rowen trailed behind, not speaking to her. When Ryo had tried to comfort her, Tiffany shot up and started walking back and the two had to race after her to catch up. She didn't seem like she wanted to talk so Ryo and Rowen kept quiet.

The group arrived at the mansion and walked in. Mia was sitting on the couch while Yulie was sitting beside White Blaze, petting the tiger. When he had saw them, Yulie jumped up from his seat, smiling at them. "You're back!" His smile faded when he only saw Ryo, Rowen, and Tiffany. "Where are the others?"

Tiffany stared at him before walking upstairs and into her room, slamming her door shut. Kalana jumped the noise and stared at Tiffany, who was leaning against the door. Tiffany stood there for a moment then walked over to the bed and laid down on it, burying her face in the pillow. Kalana moved to sit beside Tiffany and rub her head against Tiffany's arm but Tiffany didn't respond. The only response Kalana got was Tiffany's trembling body and her quiet sobs.

* * *

When Tiffany had marched upstairs, Mia turned to Ryo and Rowen. "What happened?"

"Sage, Cye, and Kento were kidnapped by the Warlords and taken into the Dynasty," explained Rowen.

Mia gasped, placing a hand over her mouth.

"We don't have any proof of that," Ryo stated.

"Kayura showed me how the others were knocked out by the Warlords and then taken."

"Who is this Kayura?" Mia asked.

"Apparently she's one of Talpa's new Dark Warlords and…" Rowen trailed off; he didn't want to state the next part.

"And what?"

"She's Tiffany's sister," finished Ryo.

"What?!"

Yulie, who overheard the conversation, asked, "why is Tiffany's sister with the Dynasty?"

"I don't know, but I think Talpa did something to her for Tiffany was cursing Talpa," explained Rowen.

"Is Tiffany going to be ok?"

"I think she needs some time alone, buddy."

Yulie nodded.

Ryo quickly glanced up toward the stairs, his gaze softening as he thought of what Tiffany was going through.

* * *

Kayura was standing outside the mansion, keeping herself hidden in the trees. After she had 'visited' the remaining two Ronins and Tiffany, Talpa came to Kayura and told her to get the Priestess. So she followed them from a distance and, once they got to the mansion, she watched from her spot in the forest to see if she could spot Tiffany. Kayura found her through one of the open windows of a room lying on the bed, with only a cat beside her. Kayura smirked. _This will be easy,_ she thought to herself. Taking out a sword and preparing to attack, she was about to leave her hiding spot when a yellow staff pierced the ground in front of her and started glowing, the rings on it clinging together as it glowed. Kayura covered her eyes from the light and as she stepped further and further away, an outline of a man took form and soon revealed itself to Kayura. _Impossible,_ she thought her eyes widening at the man. "You're supposed to be dead!" exclaimed Kayura. The man only grabbed the staff and pointed it at Kayura, light shooting out and striking her. Kayura glared at the man and fled, not wanting to challenge the power of him. Instead, she would tell Talpa about him.

The man set his sights on the mansion for a bit before walking away, the staff clinging as he walked.

* * *

Later in the day, when the sun had disappeared into the ground, revealing the starry night sky, Tiffany walked out of her room and downstairs into the kitchen. She made herself a cup of tea, putting a little honey in it, then went back to her room. But instead of sitting on her bed, she walked over to a door that lead to a balcony. She walked outside and stopped at the railing, placing the tea cup on it. Tiffany took little sips of her tea now and then but her tea was soon forgotten as her thoughts trailed off.

"You're going to get sick if you keep on staying out here." Tiffany jumped when she felt a blanket drape over her shoulders. She glanced over her shoulder to see Ryo standing next to her. She gave him a small smile, tugging the blanket closer to her. "Thanks," she whispered, her gaze returning to the teacup.

"What are you doing out here?"

Tiffany shrugged. "I'm just collecting my thoughts."

Ryo nodded. "Mind if I join you?" He didn't wait for an answer as he stood next to Tiffany, placing his arms on the railing. Tiffany smiled at him and the two stayed silent for a moment, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky.

"We used to do this," Tiffany started. "My parents would take my sister and I to the rooftop on some nights and watch the stars come out at night."

"Were you and your sister close?"

"Yeah, we told each other everything and we were there for each other. If either of us was feeling down, the other one tried to cheer the other up."

"What happened to you two?"

Tiffany stared down at the tea. "When I was ten, my village was attacked by an army, which I now assume was Talpa's. My mom had Kayura and I hide in the basement of our house and told us not to come out till she or my father came to get us. We waited for a bit until the door opened and my father appeared, telling us we could come out but I knew something wasn't right. I figured out that day part of my ability was to see past illusions and I saw that the man in front of us wasn't my father but just an illusion. I tried to warn my sister but the man grabbed Kayura and started running. I ran after them to try and save her but my mom saw and stopped me, preventing me from going to her. I tried to get out of my mother's arms to help but I couldn't. The last image I saw of Kayura was her arm stretched out to me, tears streaming down her face." Tiffany released a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut to prevent herself from crying.

Ryo reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a gently squeeze. "I know how you feel." Tiffany glanced up at him with unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "I had a sister who was two years younger than me. Her name was Rena and she was a bright ray of sunshine. I don't remember a time when she wasn't smiling." Ryo smiled at the memory but his smile soon faded. "But then one day, Rena and I were playing outside and my mom had called us in for dinner. Rena was in a playful mood that evening so she stayed outside and lured my mom out. My mom had followed her, saying she was going to get her, but when they went into the forest, I heard my mom and sister scream. My father had run out the second he heard it with me close behind and when we got to the scene, I saw that my mother and sister were being attacked by hornets. I saw the broken nest on the ground next to them and to this day, I still don't know what happened. My father raced over to them and pulled them away but we had to take them far away from the nest because the hornets still attacked. We got them to safety and that's when I noticed my sister wasn't breathing." Tiffany gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "My father took my mother and sister to the hospital but it was too late. My sister had died right before they arrived at the hospital and my mother followed her soon after." Ryo took deep breaths, clenching the railing with his hands.

"How…how old was she?" Tiffany dared to ask.

"Rena was only six. When they did tests, the doctors found out my mother and sister was allergic to hornet stings so my father had me tested to be sure I wasn't allergic and I'm not." Tiffany launched herself at Ryo, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered against his chest. Ryo was startled for a minute then wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight in his arms. "That's why I took it so hard when Maria died. Rena would have looked like her if she was still alive."

"You're so strong to go through all that." Tiffany pulled away, staring into Ryo's eyes. "I'm going to tell you something my mother told me. Even though the ones you love are gone, they are still here." Tiffany moved her hand over to where Ryo's heart was. "They will always be with you and you have friends to help you move past it. You're not alone in this."

Ryo stared into Tiffany's eyes, nodding his head in thanks, but then he noticed the tears in her eyes. Determination flashed across Ryo's face. _I won't let her go through what I went through,_ Ryo thought then he grabbed Tiffany's hand. "I promise you we'll get your sister back."

Tiffany smiled. "Thank you." She planted a kiss on Ryo's cheek and Ryo's face heat up with embarrassment. "I think we should get some sleep."

"Uh, yeah," stuttered Ryo.

"Goodnight, Ryo." Tiffany walked over to the door leading to her room, pausing by it for a minute. "And thanks…for listening."

Ryo nodded. "And thank you for listening to me."

"You're welcome. Night."

"Good night," Ryo responded just as Tiffany closed the door. He hesitated outside the door, his hand reaching out towards the knob but pulled it back and walked back towards his room.

* * *

Sage groaned as he opened his eyes, adjusting his eyes to the darkness of the room. He tried to move his arms but found that he couldn't then realized his wrists were chained together above his head. He looked down to see his feet were chained together at the ankles. It appeared he was inside some sort of statue but he couldn't tell from his angle what it was. He heard moaning come from his left.

"Where are we?" a groggily voice asked.

"Cye, is that you?" Sage asked, craning his head to the left.

"Sage?"

"Augh, my head," complained another voice.

"Kento?"

"Sage? Cye? Where are we?"

"All I remember was fighting those soldiers and then something knocked me out," Sage explained. "And then I woke up to find myself restrained."

Kento glanced up at the bounds and tried to break them but he couldn't; they wouldn't break.

Chanting filled the room and spirits hovered in front of the trio as they continued they chanting. Energy bubbles surrounded each of the spirits and, as they chanted, started to glow orange. Each of the bubbles connected and the energy from all the spirits struck the statues the guys were. The room was filled with their screams.

* * *

Tiffany shot up from the bed, taking in deep breaths. She placed a hand over her chest to calm her racing heart. Chills ran up her spin and she flinched, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Slowly getting out of bed, Tiffany glanced at the clock beside her bed and saw it was almost ten in the morning. She got dressed and went down the stairs but slowed down when she heard arguing coming from the kitchen. Tiffany walked into the kitchen to see Ryo and Rowen arguing amongst themselves.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" argued Ryo.

"But if we charge into Talpa's castle head-on without a plan, Talpa will easily capture us," Rowen tried to reason with him.

"I don't care, someone's got to rescue our friends!"

Tiffany watched the two then her gaze shifted towards Mia, who was standing in the corner. Mia met her gaze and Tiffany pointed to the two, her eyebrow raised. Mia walked over to her. "They've been arguing for an hour now, trying to figure out how to rescue Sage, Cye, and Kento."

Tiffany nodded then walked over to them. Without warning, she slapped Ryo and Rowen upside the head.

"Ow!" they exclaimed, rubbing their heads.

"What was that for?!" Ryo yelled.

"You're both acting like children," Tiffany calmly answered. "Plus, if Talpa were here, he would be enjoying you two arguing." Tiffany paused to stare the two down. "Look, charging in there head on isn't a good." Rowen gave Ryo a pointed look but Tiffany turned to him. "But neither is staying here."

"So what do we do?" Rowen asked.

"We sneak in."

Ryo and Rowen stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean 'sneak in?'" questioned Ryo.

"It's exactly what I mean. The jewel that I have has great power and it's powerful enough to teleport people. We can use the Jewel of Life to teleport to Talpa's castle and he'll never see us coming."

"But won't he sense us?" wondered Rowen.

"Not if we're careful. If we don't draw attention to ourselves once we get there, we'll have the element of surprise on our hands. Plus, Talpa can't sense the power of the jewel for it was created by the Ancients and evil spirits and demons can't sense their power. But there's just one problem."

"What's that?" Ryo asked.

"It needs to be activated by the Ancient One…and he's dead."

"So now what do we do?"

Tiffany felt something brush against her leg and she looked down to see Kalana standing there, holding the glowing Jewel of Life in her mouth. Wait, what? Tiffany retrieved the jewel and Kalana rushed to the door, meowing and scratching it. Tiffany walked over to the door and opened it but what she saw made her speechless. "Um…guys. You need to see this."

Ryo and Rowen rushed to the door and stepped out. A person wearing the clothes the Ancient One once wore was standing not that far from them.

"Is that…" Ryo started.

"It can't be," said Rowen.

The person removed the straw hat he wore, revealing his face. "Ryo of the Wildfire and Rowen of the Strata, it's been a while," Anubis greeted, smiling at the two.

"Anubis?" Ryo asked. "You're alive."

Tiffany shifted over to Rowen. "Who's that?" she whispered.

"Anubis, he was once Talpa's Dark Warlord of Cruelty," answered Rowen.

"No way." Tiffany stared wide eyed at Anubis; she couldn't believe what she had heard.

"It is true, Priestess. The Ancient One has given me this task to help you with this fight with Talpa."

Ryo, Rowen, and Tiffany stood in silence, thinking over the words Anubis told them.

* * *

 **Will they accept Anubis's help? Will Tiffany accept Anubis being the new Ancient One? Has anyone not seen this show? Please leave a review and have a good day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 12

By a lake near the mansion, Ryo, Rowen, Tiffany, and Anubis were standing off shore, watching the water glisten from the sun. Tiffany was staring at the staff Anubis held in his hand. She was clutching the Jewel of Life tightly in her hand, wondering why the Ancient One chose him to wield this power. Tiffany cast her gaze upon Ryo and Rowen, who were also standing in silence, watching the water. Having enough of the silence, Tiffany asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Why do you have the Ancient One's staff? You were a Warlord once, right? So the staff shouldn't be in your grasp."

Anubis turned to her and gave her a small smile. "I can see you would be confused, Priestess, but as a student of the Ancient, you should know he wouldn't give the staff to just anyone he didn't feel was worthy. Even I was surprised when he cast me the power of the staff."

Tiffany's eyes widen slightly. "You knew him?"

Ryo walked up to Tiffany, placing a hand on her shoulder. Tiffany spun around to look at him. "Tiffany, the Ancient One talked some sense into him along with Maria's help and Anubis converted to our side."

"How is Maria?" Anubis asked. "I haven't seen her yet."

Ryo and Rowen were quiet, their gaze lowered to the ground. "She's dead, Anubis," Ryo quietly answered.

"What?! How?!"

"Talpa killed her."

Anubis sucked in a breath of air as his hand tightened around the staff he was holding. His face morphed into that of agony as he thought of his friend, squeezing his eyes shut to keep himself from screaming or crying out in anger. The hatred he had for Talpa only increased but he didn't want that hatred to consume him.

Tiffany stared at Anubis for a moment then walked over to him. Anubis's eyes snapped open when he felt Tiffany's hand on top of his. "I knew Kaos for most of my life and, like you said, he wouldn't hand over his power to someone he didn't feel was worthy." She smiled. "Even though you were a Warlord at one point, I can see how you have changed."

"Tiffany, how can you be certain that Anubis is one our side now?" Rowen asked. "How do we know that he isn't going to join Talpa again."

"True," Ryo agreed.

"I can understand your concern, but I want to assure you that I have no intentions of ever joining Talpa again." Anubis turned to Ryo and Rowen. "Be cautious when you go into the Dynasty. It is not the same as you remember."

"It doesn't matter. Our friends are trapped in there and we have to go in and save them," argued Ryo.

"I'm not here to stop you, but to warn you. When you do go to the Dynasty, be vigilant and stay alert. Talpa will do anything to get you to join his side but you must resist everything he throws at you." Anubis places the straw hat back on his head.

"Before you go, can you help us with one thing?" Tiffany took out the Jewel of Life. "The full power of the jewel needs to be awakened by the power of the Ancient One. Would you be able to do that really quick?"

"Of course, my Priestess." Anubis raised the staff toward the jewel and the staff lit up and so did the jewel. The light disappeared after a moment and Tiffany could feel power resonating from the Jewel.

"Thank you, Anubis." Anubis bowed at her then walked away from the trio.

"I guess Anubis has changed," said Rowen.

"Yeah, he has," Ryo agreed. He turned to Tiffany. "So the jewel can take us into the Dynasty now?"

"Yes but we should prepare ourselves before we go in. We don't want to head on unprepared."

"She's right," agreed Rowen. "Giving ourselves one more day to train and rest would be beneficial to us."

Ryo thought about it for a moment before nodding. "All right, tomorrow morning we'll leave. We'll save our friends and beat Talpa for good."

Tiffany and Rowen agreed and decided to spare with each other to get themselves ready for the upcoming battle.

* * *

In the Dynasty, Kayura walked down the hall and towards the throne room. She was set on telling Talpa what she had witnessed not that long ago. Kayura burst into the throne room, the doors banging against the wall grabbed the attention of the three Warlords standing in front of Talpa. Kayura walked to the front of the room then knelt before him.

"Welcome back, Lady Kayura," Talpa greeted. "I assume the Priestess is with us now?"

"No, Master, she's not," Kayura answered, not meeting Talpa's gaze.

"And why not?"

"The Ancient One stopped me."

Talpa's eyes glowed red when he heard that. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure if he was the real Ancient, but he was carrying the magic staff."

"But the Ancient One is dead," stated Sekhmet.

"Well the monk looked quite well for someone who is supposed to be dead," Kayura said, standing up.

"What should we do, Master?" asked Cale.

"Ignore him," answered Talpa. "He is no threat to us."

"Are you sure, Master?" Dais asked, unsure. He didn't think it was wise to let this man, who claimed to be the Ancient, to be left alone. He thought they should strike now before this so-called 'Ancient' used his power against them.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's the Priestess I'm more worried about. Her power can be used to strengthen the Ronins' armor."

"But we have three of the five warriors locked up here," said Cale. "Why do we need to worry about some little girl?"

"While Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock are in my care, the Priestess can still help the remaining two Ronins and I don't want to know what else she is hiding. We must strike and get her." Talpa turned to Kayura. "Lady Kayura, would you like to try and lure the Priestess again?"

"Yes Master," Kayura answered, bowing before Talpa.

"Lady Kayura, perhaps you need some help with the Priestess since she has the other two Ronins by her side," offered Sekhmet.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Sekhmet, but I don't need your help. I already have plans for the Priestess." Kayura looked up at Talpa. "But I do request one thing." Kayura filled Talpa in on her plan.

* * *

The next morning, Tiffany woke up just as the sun was coming up. For the past few days, she'd been waking up early and practicing her new ability. Tiffany turned to Kalana, who was curled up in a ball beside her. She smiled at this then stroked the cat's back. The motion slowly drew Kalana from her slumber then opened her eyes, her body still remained in a ball. "Good morning, Kalana," Tiffany greeted, scratching the cat's head. "You ready to go?" Kalana stood up, stretched, then rubbed her head against Tiffany's arm, purring softly. "I'll take that as a yes." Tiffany got up and got dressed, heading downstairs with Kalana on her heels. She was usually back before the others got up so she didn't leave a note saying where she was.

The two walked into the forest but Tiffany didn't want to be too far from the mansion in case something happened. She suddenly stopped and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the forest waking up. The birds greeted her cheerfully with their singing and Tiffany could hear running water from a stream close by. Tiffany took a deep breath and let it out, smiling as the scent of pinecones filled her nose. She loved nature and couldn't afford to let the Dynasty destroy it.

Opening her eyes, Tiffany scanned the forest and her gaze landed on a branch lying on the ground. She held out her hand towards and the branch hovered in the air. She made her hand into a fist and the branch transformed into a spike. Tiffany swiped her hand to the left and the spike struck a tree, burying itself halfway in. With the same hand, she twirled her wrist and fire appeared in her open palm. Spotting a pile of leaves on the forest floor, Tiffany sent the small fireball towards the leaves. As the leaves started to burn, Tiffany swiped her other hand across her body and water appeared, extinguishing the fire. She moved her hand diagonally across her body and a big gust of wind blew into the forest, shaking the trees and many leaves fell from the branches, dancing around Tiffany's frame. She smiled at her progress and deemed herself ready.

"You've come so far, Tiffany."

Tiffany quickly turned around as Kayura appeared in the forest. But she wasn't wearing the armor Tiffany first saw her in. Instead, Kayura was wearing a red and white kimono and her long blue hair cascaded down her back. Kayura smiled sweetly at Tiffany. "It's been so long."

Kalana transformed into her wolf form, growling at Kayura. Tiffany placed her hand on the wolf's head. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I see my sister?"

Tiffany narrowed her eyes. "You didn't even know I was your sister when we first met."

"How could I forget you? We're family."

Kalana growled, stepping in front of Tiffany, who stared at the wolf. Tiffany glanced at her friend, lowered next to her ear, and whispered, "go get Ryo and Rowen." Kalana's eyes perked at Tiffany's command and growled softly. She took off running towards the mansion, leaving Tiffany and Kayura alone. Tiffany stared Kayura in the eyes, her body posture rigid.

"So now you remember me? What about following Talpa?"

"Tiffany, I only said that because I didn't know about those two men in armor. It's been so long since I've seen you so I didn't know who I could trust. You have to believe me, Tiffany."

Tiffany didn't say anything; only stared. She didn't know if she could believe her or not. Even if Kayura was her sister, she did state yesterday that she was following Talpa. How could someone say one thing but say completely different the next. An idea popped into her head as she reached into her pocket. "Ok, I believe you." Kayura smirked. "But I want you to do one thing for me?"

"What's that?"

Tiffany took out the Jewel of Life and it lit up, bright light surrounding the area. Kayura screeched in pain, shielding her eyes from the light. Tiffany swiped her hand out and the spike from the tree flew into her awaiting hand. She charged at Kayura, swiping it at her but it barely missed her face.

Kayura tsked and her kimono disappeared and her armor was hidden underneath. "I was hoping you would come quietly but I guess that's not the case." Dynasty soldiers emerged from the trees, weapons ready in their hands. Tiffany's eyes quickly scanned the area then set her sights on Kayura.

"From now on, you're not my sister. Armor of Spirits! Come forth!" Light surrounded Tiffany's body as her purple and silver armor replaced her clothes. Pulling the hood over her head, the mask covered half her face as she charged at the soldiers.

* * *

Ryo and Rowen had just gotten up and were getting breakfast with Mia and Yulie when Kalana barged in. She growled at them, pacing the entry way to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with Kalana?" Yulie asked.

White Blaze walked over to the wolf and started talking with her. Getting the information, White Blaze turned to Ryo and Rowen and roared. Ryo stared at the two animals and Kalana whimpered, her ears lying flat against her head. Ryo connected the dotes as he turned towards the wolf. "Tiffany is in trouble, isn't she?"

Kalana nodded and raced out the door.

"Mia, stay here with Yulie!" ordered Ryo as he, Rowen, and White Blaze ran after Kalana.

* * *

Tiffany skidded across the forest floor, dirt picking up along her feet. Soldiers surrounded her and no matter how many Tiffany took down, more seemed to replace them.

"Make it easier for yourself, Priestess," Kayura said. "Just surrounded yourself to Master Talpa."

"Like I'll serve the likes of him!" spat Tiffany.

"Master Talpa can give you power that you can never imagine. Come and join us." Kayura held out her hand.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'll _never_ join Talpa!"

Kayura retracted her hand. "So be it." She gave the command and the soldiers all attacked at once. Holding onto her bow with one hand, Tiffany spun around in her spot, her arm outstretched, and a strong gust of wind sliced the army in half. Armored pieces clang to the ground in a circle around Tiffany. She glanced at Kayura through stray hairs dangling in her face.

"It seems I have underestimated you." Kayura reached behind her and took out her swords. "But let's see how you do against me."

Tiffany broke her bow in half and the pieces transformed into swords. She twirled them in hands so the point was facing her backside. The wind howled as the two women stared each other down. Kayura charged at her but was knocked back by Kalana.

"Good job, Kalana," praised Tiffany as Ryo and Rowen stood on either side of her, donned in their sub-armor.

"You alright?" Ryo asked, glancing at Tiffany.

"I'm fine."

Ryo nodded, turning his attention to Kayura.

"Wildfire and Strata, it's so good to see you. I was actually hoping you would join us for Master Talpa would love to have you as guests within his kingdom. You can join your other three friends."

Tiffany held the Jewel of Life behind her back. "You guys ready?" she whispered.

"Yeah, let's go," answered Rowen.

She nodded.

"We will visit Talpa, but on our terms," said Tiffany.

"What-"

Tiffany held up the jewel. "Teleport!" The Jewel of Life lit up around the small group and Kayura covered her eyes from the light. When the light disappeared, Kayura's vision returned and she saw that the group was no longer in front of her. She quickly scanned the forest, trying to see if there was any sight of them but didn't see anything. Kayura cursed under her breath as a Dynasty gate appeared behind her. Stepping in, she wondered how Talpa would take the news.

* * *

 **Where has the trio gone? Find out in the next chapter! Please review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know it's been a while and I apologize. Life got a hold of me, but I'm back and determined to finish this story. Please enjoy.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 13

On a grassy plain, a ball of light appeared and then dispersed, revealing the warriors, White Blaze, and Kalana. Tiffany put the jewel around her neck and hid it underneath her armory.

"Where are we?" Ryo asked, looking around. "This looks nothing like the Dynasty." The green plain had patches of flowers all around them and it was a very peaceful scene but it disturbed the warriors.

Tiffany walked over to the cliff and stared off into the distance. "Uh…guys, you might want to see this." Ryo and Rowen walked over to her and looked out. A golden castle surrounded by a maze of walkways that twisted and turned stood not too far from the small group. _This is going to be fun,_ Tiffany thought sarcastically. She turned to Ryo and Rowen. "You two ready for this?"

They nodded. "Talpa won't even see us coming," said Ryo. "We'll find our friends and Talpa will pay for what he did."

"But where in the castle are they?" Rowen wondered.

Tiffany lowered herself to the ground, placing her hand on it. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the powers of the armors. She soon detected them and when she opened her eyes, a green, orange, and blue light lined the ground, leading the way. So while Ryo and Rowen weren't able to see the lights going towards the castle, Tiffany could. "I know where to go," Tiffany said, standing up. She walked over to Kalana and got on her back. "Follow me." The pair took off. Ryo and Rowen got on White Blaze's back and the tiger followed suit.

* * *

"What do you mean you lost them?!" Talpa exclaimed, his eyes blazing red with anger. He glared down at Kayura, who adverted her eyes from him.

"The Priestess used some kind of jewel to escape with the other two Ronins before I could do anything," answered Kayura. "She said that she and the Ronins would visit you on their own terms." When she didn't hear a reply, Kayura glanced up at Talpa. "Master?"

Talpa stayed quiet, processing over what Kayura had told him. _She couldn't have the jewel,_ he thought to himself. Talpa finally spoke, but it came out slow, "What jewel did she use?"

Kayura was taken back by this question. "I'm not sure, I didn't get a good look at it. Why do you want to know?"

"That jewel the Priestess possesses could be the Jewel of Life. It has tremendous power but if she owns this jewel, we may need to proceed with caution."

"What's so special about this jewel?" Cale asked.

"It contains power that can be used against the Dynasty," a new voice said. The Warlords and Kayura turned around to the new voice to see a spirit floating into the throne room. The spirit took form of a man, hovering in front of the Warlords and Kayura. He wore a dark purple robe with a tall, black hat. He was pale green with a mustache and a thin, pointy beard.

"It is good to see you, Badamon," Talpa greeted.

"Badamon? Lord of the Neither Spirits?" asked Dais. The Warlords have heard of this spirit but have never seen him in person. It was a shock to all of them to see him in the flesh.

"I'm pleased to see you, Dark Warlords, as well," stated Badamon then looked at Talpa. "My Lord, I have some news regarding the monk Kayura discussed with you. The monk is actually Anubis."

"That traitor wields the monk's power now?" hissed Sekhmet.

"Yes, and he was the one that gave the Priestess the full power of the Jewel of Life."

"Curse that monk!" exclaimed Talpa, his fist slamming down on the arm rest of his throne.

"How can it be used against us?" Kayura asked.

Badamon glanced at her. "The Jewel of Life can do many powerful things but since the Priestess harnesses its power, the neither spirits won't be able to touch her or the two warriors. There is no limit to what the jewel can do or what the Priestess will do with it."

Dais glanced at his master. "Master, I will go down and deal with this traitor." He knew that they should have done something to him when Kayura first mentioned it, but no one did. It was only fitting since he suggested it in the first, he should be the one to take care of it.

"All right," Talpa agreed.

Dais bowed and then left the room. Talpa dismissed the other two Warlords and Kayura, leaving him alone with Badamon.

"What is it you truly fear from this jewel, my Lord?" Badamon began. "Yes, she is more of a threat but it's not enough to stop us."

"It's not that I'm worried about. It's what she can do with it that worries me."

"What do you mean?"

"Combined with the Jewel of Life's power, the Priestess can turn my Warlords against me."

"But Lord Talpa, aren't you going to get rid of the Warlords once you regain your full power back?"

Talpa's eyes glowed red in anger. "You imbecile, don't you realize I can't have the Warlords' armor if they join the Ronin Warriors' side? Even Kayura might not be able to resist any power the Priestess uses with the jewel."

Badamon bowed. "I understand, my Lord, but you have nothing to worry about. I have made sure Kayura can _and_ will resist every trick the Priestess has up her sleeve."

"You better hope so, Badamon." Talpa leaned back into his throne, clenching the arms of it. "I don't want to lose my best fighter."

* * *

Back at the mansion, Yulie was standing outside, waiting for Ryo and Rowen to return with Tiffany. But the longer he waited, the more worried he got.

"Yulie?" Mia called, stepping outside.

"What's taking them so long?" Yulie wondered, not turning around.

A small smile spread across her lips as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine."

"But what if something happened to them?"

"Ryo and Rowen are with the Priestess in the Dynasty."

Yulie and Mia turned to the left to see Anubis standing near the edge of the forest. "I felt the Jewel of Life's power so the Priestess must have used it to get into the Dynasty with the Ronins." Anubis took a step towards the two but Yulie stepped behind Mia, holding onto the sleeve of her jacket. This made Anubis stop in his tracks. "You still fear me. I understand, young one."

"It's just…how do we know you are actually good?" Yulie asked.

"I know that you are concerned but believe me, I have changed." Anubis turned around. "I will die before I let Talpa take over the mortal world." He started to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mia asked, taking a step towards him, her arm outstretched.

"Yes, where are you going, traitor?" Anubis jumped back to avoid the deadly blades aimed for him. The blades pierced the ground and attached to those blades were "arms," which detached itself from the ground and retracted to the wielder. Anubis looked up and saw Dais dangling upside down from a tree branch. "Helping the Ronin Warriors was a big mistake, Anubis. You should know Master Talpa doesn't take kindly to traitors, but if you re-pledge your loyalty to him, Talpa might be generous and let you back in."

"I will not serve him anymore," Anubis stated. "Talpa's reign must end and I will help the Ronin Warriors and the Priestess all I can to make sure that happens."

"Then you will die with them!" Dais spun his nunchaku before throwing it at Anubis, who blocked them with the staff he held and then deflected another one towards Dais, knocking him off the tree branch. Dais took the Kamas off his back and pointed it at Anubis, the arms extended towards his foe. Anubis ran towards Dais, dodging and blocking all of them. Dais quickly tried to retract the Kamas before Anubis could strike him but Anubis raised the end of the staff towards Dais, hitting him on the chin. Anubis raised the staff; the momentum knocking Dais into the air and onto his back. Anubis stared at his opponent before calmly walking towards him. Dais glared at him then disappeared, retreating back to the Dynasty. Anubis glanced up towards the sky, staring at it for a bit then turned towards Mia and Yulie. "Are you two all right?"

"Yes, thank you," replied Mia.

Anubis nodded then turned back to the forest, walking away.

"Wait, stay!" Yulie called out, taking a step towards him. "I believe you so please stay here and be our friend." He looked up towards Mia. "He can stay, right?"

Mia looked down and smiled. "Yes." Turning to Anubis, she replied, "You're welcomed to stay, Anubis."

Anubis walked back over to them, a smile on his lips. "Thank you." The trio walked into the mansion and neither Mia nor Yulie saw the tear run down Anubis's face, happy that he was accepted.

* * *

At one of the side entrances of the Dynasty, Kalana skidded to a stop next to a rock then hid behind it, lowering herself as she barred her teeth at the sight in front of her. Tiffany's hand came to rest on top of Kalana's head to calm the beast as her other hand stretched out behind her to signal White Blaze to stop. Tiffany slowly slid off Kalana's back and knelt beside her so as not to give away her position. She heard movement behind her and didn't look back to know Ryo and Rowen had stood beside her.

"What is it?" Ryo asked, peering over the rock.

"Soldiers," answered Tiffany, not taking her eyes off the two guards standing in front of the entrance. Her eyes glanced over to area but only those two soldiers were there; no one else was around. She glanced over at Kalana, giving a curt nod. Kalana transformed back into her cat form and stealthily crept over to the guards. Since she was so small, they didn't notice her crawling up behind them. Kalana waited for a minute before pouncing and, mid pounce, transformed back into her wolf form. She landed on one soldier and grabbed the other one by the neck with her teeth. Kalana bit down on the soldier's neck, separating its' head from the rest of its' body. She then swiped her claws against the soldier underneath her until it was just a pile of armored pieces. Kalana let out a menacing growl at the armored pile before her and she was about to let out a howl when she heard, "Kalana!" The wolf turned towards her mistress and flattened her ears against her head, letting out a soft whine. Tiffany walked up to her friend and scratched her head. Tiffany turned to Ryo and Rowen and beckoned them forward. The group ran to the entrance and smashed themselves against the wall near the doors. Looking at each other, they all nodded and pushed open the doors. Checking the area, they saw no soldiers around and they deemed it safe to continue on.

However, Dais had just returned from his fight with Anubis and he wasn't ready to face Talpa or his wrath. Instead of taking the main entrance at the front, he decided to take one of the side entrances. There were less soldiers near the side entrances and it wasn't as busy as the main one and not that easily detected either. As Dais neared the entrance, he noticed the armor pile by the open gates. Dais's eyes widen and he rushed over to the gates and stood at the entrance, looking around. There were no soldiers around other than the two destroyed before him. That was when Dais came to the conclusion that the Ronins and the Priestess were in the Dynasty and they were somewhere in the courtyard. _Another thing to add to get myself killed,_ Dais thought as he walked to Talpa's throne room.

* * *

"They're what?!" Talpa screeched, his eyes blazing a piercing red as he glared down at Dais, whom was trembling underneath Talpa's gaze.

"The soldiers at the south entrance were destroyed and the gates were open. I couldn't think of anyone else who could have done this."

Sekhmet stepped forward. "My Lord, would this not be a good thing?"

Talpa's gaze centered on Sekhmet. "Do you think this is a good thing, Sekhmet?! Choose your words carefully before you answer."

Sekhmet swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking. "I only mean that they are on our territory. They don't know this area and they could easily get lost within the courtyward. It would be perfect to capture them."

Talpa thought over what Sekhmet said before speaking, "I want soldiers around every part of the Dynasty. Do not stop searching until they are found!"

"Yes, sire!" The Warlords said and they disappeared from view, filling out Talpa's commands.

* * *

In the courtyard, Kalana and White Blaze stopped and turned around, both animals growling which made the warriors stop. "White Blaze, what's wrong?" Ryo asked.

Tiffany knelt to the ground, placing her hand on it. She felt vibrations in the ground and it felt like an army was racing towards them. "Shit," she muttered, standing back up. "Talpa knows we're here."

"How?" questioned Rowen.

"I don't know, but we have to find somewhere to hide."

"Hide? We can take them," Ryo stated, getting into a fighting stance.

"No. We can still sneak around."

"They know we're here so why keep on hiding?"

"They don't know exactly where we are and I would like to keep it that way." Spotting a structure with little space between itself and the ground, Tiffany ran over towards it. "This way." The warriors slid underneath the structure while White Blaze crawled in and Kalana shifted back into her cat form. Making themselves as small as possible, they sat in silence and waited. It wasn't long until they saw armored feet running across the land. The group watched as soldier after soldier ran across, keeping themselves quiet. It wasn't long until all the soldiers were gone and no one moved from there spot.

"Should we go?" Ryo asked.

"No, we should wait a bit," replied Tiffany. "They'll be more alert now that they know we are here." Kalana jumped onto Tiffany's lap, curling up into a ball.

"Maybe we should get rest," suggested Rowen. "By the time we're well-rested, it might have calmed down a bit."

"All right." Tiffany leaned against a pillar, letting out a sigh. Ryo leaned against White Blaze and Rowen leaned against another pillar across from Tiffany. Rowen and Ryo closed their eyes, their bodies relaxing as they fell alseep. Tiffany stayed awake, though; scanning the area. She didn't feel like sleeping for she was still on edge in case something happened. Tiffany glanced over at her friends, watching as they slept. Glancing over Ryo's sleeping face, she realized how calm he looked. His face was serene, not showing any signs of stress or worry that was etched onto his face. Tiffany smiled as she stared upon his face, admiring how handsome he looked when he slept. She lifted herself off the pillar, but hesitated. She wanted to lay next to him, but at the same time, she was scared. Thinking back to their almost kiss, Tiffany raised a hand to her lips. If Kalana hadn't of interrupted them, would they have kissed? Or was it just in the moment? Tiffany shook her head, resting herself against the pillar again. _Now is not the time to think about this,_ she told herself. _I have to think about saving Sage, Cye, and Kento._ She leaned her head against the pillar, her body relaxing. Her eyes started to close and she tried to stay awake but sleep won her over. Kalana and White Blaze stayed awake, standing guard while also watching over their friends as they slept.

* * *

 **I think three more chapters until this story is finished...maybe four. But this story is coming to a close so stay tuned to find out what happens!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the long wait. Here's an extra long chapter for you all for your patience.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 14

The Dynasty was in chaos. Soldiers were running around the courtyard, trying to find the two remaining Ronins and the Priestess. So far, there was no luck and no could detect them. The Warlords were on edge for they were thinking about Talpa's punishment if they couldn't find the warriors.

But while everyone in the Dynasty was running amuck, underneath the safety of building, Ryo, Rowen, and Tiffany were resting with Kalana and White Blaze keeping lookout. Minutes passed by and the animals didn't feel a need to wake up the warriors until White Blaze noticed a couple of soldiers running towards the structure. The tiger started growling which woke up Ryo, Rowen, and Tiffany. They noticed the soldiers running towards them and Ryo knelt beside White Blaze, his hand resting on the tiger's back. "Quiet," he whispered.

"Do you think they noticed us?" wondered Tiffany.

"Don't know."

The group prepared themselves for a fight as the two soldiers inched closer and closer. But at the last moment, they made a sharp turn right and disappeared around the corner. The group relaxed. "That was close," Ryo said.

"I don't think Talpa's going to stop this search for us," stated Rowen. "He knows we're here and he's not going to give up if his army turns up empty handed."

"Then we should proceed with caution," replied Tiffany. "Kalana, check the area; see if we're good to go." The cat climbed out of Tiffany's lap and poked her head out from underneath the building. Kalana glanced around the area, her nose twitching as she sniffed. She took a few more steps out into the open and then turned back and nodded her head.

Tiffany's hand rested on the ground and the lights appeared again, directing the way. "Ready?" Ryo and Rowen nodded. "Let's go." They jumped out of their hiding place and followed Tiffany, avoiding being detected along the way.

* * *

Talpa sat upon his throne as his fingers tapped against the arm rest. No news has come to him about the Ronins or the Priestess being found and he was getting pissed. He found it amazing that no one had found three teenagers and two large animals running around his Dynasty. _Maybe I should send Lady Kayura out to find the Ronins,_ Talpa thought to himself. _She would be able to find them instead of my Dark Warlords._

The doors to the throne room opened then. "Who enters this room?"

"It's Dais, Master."

"Enter, Dais."

Dais walked into the room slowly and cautiously, preparing his speech over in his head. He and the other two Warlords had come up with a plan to capture the three warriors but none of them wanted to tell Talpa in the mood he was in. So, Dais was elected to be the spokesperson for their group and Dais hoped Talpa wouldn't get pissed off with the idea. Stopping before Talpa's throne, he crossed an arm over his chest and bowed before Talpa. "What do you want, Dais?"

He spoke slow. "I came up with a plan to capture the remaining two Ronins and the Priestess. We can separate the Priestess from the Ronin Warriors and lead her to Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock."

"Have you lost your mind?! You expect me to let them have a chance of escaping!"

Dais flinched. "No, Master Talpa. The power we have drained from their armors can make clones, decoys of their armors, tricking the Priestess into thinking they are their captured friends. With six against one, we will easily defeat and capture the Priestess."

"Hmm, this sounds promising. But what of Ryo of the Wildfire and Rowen of the Strata? What are your plans for them?"

"We can distract them with an army until we have captured the Priestess then we'll take them out."

"No, I don't want to two separate deliveries. I want the Priestess _and_ Ryo of the Wildfire and Rowen of the Strata at my feet. I'll send Lady Kayura to deal with them while you three deal with the Priestess."

Dais clenched his teeth in anger but nodded in agreement, not saying anything. He didn't want Lady Kayura to be involved in their plan for Master Talpa would praise the three of them if they captured the remaining warriors. But Talpa seemed to favor Lady Kayura over his three Dark Warlords. "Understood, Master."

"Good." Talpa stood up from his throne. "I think I might go pay a visit to our 'guests.'"

* * *

In the dungeon of the castle, Sage, Cye, and Kento were still held inside the statues. Since they were captured, the Neither Spirits had been draining the powers of their armors, making them weaker and weaker. Each of them had tried to break free of their bonds but the chains were different from normal chains, they were stronger and made from different material so they couldn't break free.

Up on a balcony, the doors leading to it opened and Talpa walked in, stopping at the edge. He watched the three warriors suffer for a moment before raising his hand. "Enough, Neither Spirits!" The spirits stopped their assault on Sage, Cye, and Kento and the three of them relaxed their bodies against the chains binding them. After catching their breath, the three glanced up at Talpa, glaring at him. "Such ugly looks you give me. You are guests in my castle, you should respect me."

"That's a laugh!" spat Kento. "Like we're really guests. We're just your prisoners."

"Oh, you're much more than that. You are my tools for capturing your three friends."

"We will never help with anything, Talpa!" yelled Sage.

"Hahaha, but you've already have, with the powers of your armors."

"That's a lie!" Cye exclaimed.

"You don't believe me?" Talpa let out a short laugh. "You shall see." He raised his hand and three soldiers appeared before Sage, Cye, and Kento. The orange light appeared around the Neither Spirits again and each of the statues the Ronins were in glowed their respective armor colors. Power shot out from the three statues, piercing the soldiers as their armor transformed to look like the armor of Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock. "Look at this, Ronin Warriors. Three identical copies of your armors power and I'll be using them to destroy Ryo of the Wildfire, Rowen of the Strata, and the Priestess." Talpa started laughing again as Sage, Cye, and Kento stared wide eyed and open mouthed at this new discovery. Soon, that shock turned to hatred.

"You bastard!" Kento screamed, his body lurching forward at Talpa.

"You won't be laughing long, Talpa," started Sage. "We'll get out of here and we'll show you what the Ronin Warriors are capable of."

"Silence! I promise you your three friends will be in my clutches and Ryo of the Wildfire will experience my wrath for destroying me all those months ago, with you watching as he breathes his last breath. As for now, I think you deserve some rest." Talpa raised his hand again and the spirits connected their power to the statues which started to move and enclosed the three warriors in darkness.

Inside the statue, Sage felt his body growing weaker and he found it hard to keep his eyes open. _Ryo…Rowen…Tiffany...stay strong,_ Sage prayed then closed his eyes, Talpa's laughter being the last thing he heard.

* * *

Within the courtyard, Tiffany screeched to a stop. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. "Tiffany?" She glanced up to find Ryo staring worriedly at her. "Is something wrong?"

She nodded. "I think something happened to the guys."

"Then we must keep moving," ordered Rowen. But before they could start off again, the ground started to shake. The warriors glanced around, wondering what could be coming their way. A wall suddenly sprung up from the ground, separating Tiffany and Kalana from Ryo, Rowen, and White Blaze. "What the hell?!" Tiffany screeched, staring at the wall in disbelief.

"Tiffany, are you ok?" Ryo called from the other side.

"I'm fine. What about you two?"

"We're good," answered Rowen. "Can you still find the way to Sage, Cye, and Kento?"

Tiffany looked to the ground, the three lights shining bright. "Yeah."

"Then go and free them."

"Are you sure?"

"We'll be fine, Tiffany. Just go and rescue them and we'll somehow find you again."

Tiffany hesitated for a moment, reaching her hand out to the wall but retracted it. "All right. You be careful."

"You too." Tiffany took off with Kalana at her heels.

Rowen glanced at Ryo. "What do we do now?"

"We find a way out of here."

"Easier said than done, Wildfire." Both warriors groaned, looking up to see Kayura sitting on top of the wall. "What's wrong? Not happy to see me?"

"We want nothing to do with you, Kayura."

"Too bad." Kayura took out her swords. "Because I want your armors." She charged at them.

* * *

Tiffany followed the lights leading to the others. She hoped that Ryo and Rowen would be ok by themselves and part of her wanted to go back and help them but she knew they wanted her to free their friends. She continued on her path, following the lights on the ground. She was surprised and a little unsettled that no one had confronted her yet. _What is Talpa planning?_

Up ahead, Tiffany saw three figures and a group of soldiers clustered around the trio. Getting closer, she realized that those three were her captured friends. Tiffany took out her swords and chopped off the head of one soldier, making the rest of the group turn to her. "Get away from them!" Tiffany exclaimed, cutting down the rest of the soldiers surrounding her friends as well as cutting the chains holding them down. Kalana had taken out the ones that were sneaking up behind Tiffany. Once all the soldiers were gone, Tiffany turned to her friends. "Are you three all-" She stopped halfway for even though the armors of Halo, Torrent, and Hardrock were standing before her, the lights continued on past them. Tiffany took a step back, weary of the situation in front of her.

Kalana started growling then and Tiffany glanced over. Her eyes widen and she jumped back and a sword pierced the ground, a reddish-pink hue coming from the ground where the sword struck. _Is that…venom?_ Tiffany wondered.

"Such an irritating creature you have."

Tiffany glared at the man in green armor standing on top of the wall next to her.

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's right, we've never met before. I'm Sekhmet, Warlord of Venom."

"I'm the Warlord of Illusion, Dais." Tiffany turned around to see another man in a dark pink armor.

"And I'm Cale." Tiffany ducked out of the way and felt wind rushing over her head. She looked up to see a gauntlet hovering over her head, which was connected to a dark brown, armored arm. The man smiled cruelly at her. "The Warlord of Corruption."

Tiffany glared at him from her spot on the ground. She jumped up and started backing up when something hit her on the back, making her fall to the ground. Kalana let out an angry bark then jumped at the armor of Hardrock but the armor used its weapon to knock Kalana away. It then proceeded to beat Kalana.

"Kalana!" Tiffany cried, moving to go help her friend when both the nodaci and the yari were pointed at her, almost daring her to move.

"What are you going to do now, Priestess?" taunted Cale. "Call your armored friends to save you?"

Tiffany glared at Cale. "You've got to let go of the damsel in distress stereotype." Tiffany pushed her hand into the ground and six blocks of earth struck the Dark Warlords and the three armors, sending them flying into the air. She headed over to Kalana, who had slowly gotten up and shook herself off. Tiffany kissed the wolf's head, rubbing her hand up and down its back. "Are you ok, Kalana?" The wolf nodded, licking Tiffany's face. "Good, then I need you to do something for me." She transferred the ability to see where Sage, Cye, and Kento were over to Kalana, making the wolf see the three colored lines on the ground. "Go and free them. I'll take care of this mess." Kalana whined, her ears falling flat against her head. "I'll be fine; I have a plan." Tiffany kissed Kalana's head again then sent her on her way. Once Kalana was out of sight, Tiffany turned her attention to the three fake armors.

They had gotten up and were staring at Tiffany, waiting for her to make her next move. Tiffany noticed that the Dark Warlords were preparing to strike too but for her plan to work, she needed to focus on the three armors first. Raising her arms, a dome appeared from the ground, encasing Tiffany and the armors in it, leaving out the Dark Warlords. She could see their confusion which gave her the advantage. Sprinting towards them, she cut the legs off each of the armors and they all collapsed. The armors reached for Tiffany and she pierced their hands together onto the ground. Glaring at them, she glanced up towards the top of the doom, raising her hand. She stretched out her hand which made a small hole at the top of the dome. Using the sword that pierced the armor's hand, she focused on the powers of the armors, letting them flow from the armor into her weapon. Tiffany watched as the armors before her started to change to the Dynasty soldiers she was familiar with. Once all the power was in the sword, Tiffany pulled it out of the hands and raised it towards the opening. _Go and return to your proper warriors_. Tiffany expelled the power out of the sword and watched it fly out of the dome, disappearing into the sky. Tiffany glared down upon the three soldiers and, in one single swoop, cut the heads off the armors.

Tiffany started to drop the dome around her, sighing in content, when she heard, "Black Lightening Slash!" Tiffany didn't have time to react as the sure-kill struct her, sending her flying into a wall. She had totally forgotten about the Dark Warlords on the other side.

"Web of Deception!" Stick webs shot out and wrapped around Tiffany, holding her to the ground. Tiffany struggled to get out of the webbing holding her down. Sekhmet took out his katanas, combining them together to form a whip like structure. He started to swing the six swords around. "Snake Fang Strike!" He launched his attack on Tiffany, striking her and Tiffany screamed as venom stung her body.

Dais walked over to her, staring down at Tiffany. "What were you saying about that stereotype?" Dais asked then raised his foot and brought it down on Tiffany.

* * *

Sage was sleeping inside the statue when he suddenly felt power rush through him and it instantly woke him up from his slumber; he felt strong again. He could also hear the sounds of metal being ripped apart and spirits wailing in agony then silence. It was quiet, too quiet, but then the mouth of the statue was ripped open and Kalana stood before him, wagging her tail. "Kalana!" The wolf barked then bit off the chains on his wrists and ankles. "Thanks, girl." Sage rubbed the wolf's head then went over to the statue on the right while Kalana went to the statue on the left. They both opened the mouths of the statues and freed Cye and Kento. "You two alright?"

"Better than ever!" exclaimed Kento, smiling brightly. "I'm ready to give Talpa a piece of my mind."

"We have to find Tiffany, Ryo, and Rowen first," said Cye.

Kalana barked in agreement then nudged Sage from behind.

"Lead the way, Kalana," ordered Sage and he followed Kalana out of the castle, with Cye and Kento following suit.

* * *

Tiffany was breathing heavily, her swords trembling as she fought to stay conscious. She had narrowly avoided Dais knocking her out by burning the webs holding her body down then maneuvered out of the way. She started fighting back but suddenly found herself to be extremely tired and her body ached. She didn't know what was going on but she knew she had to stay conscious.

Sekhmet laughed, seeing the dilemma Tiffany was having. "Do you like my poison, Priestess?"

"What…what are you talking about?" Tiffany asked breathlessly.

"My attack was loaded with venom and now, it has seeped through your armor and probably into your skin. It won't be long until it takes its full affect."

"You son of a bitch."

"Let's end this quickly, Warlords," Cale stated, taking a step towards Tiffany. "Master Talpa would be delighted to see her."

Tiffany crossed her swords. There was no way in hell she was going down by this poison. Trying to think of the quickest way to beat the Dark Warlords, Tiffany suddenly heard a howl. It made the Dark Warlords stop and look around, wondering what that was but Tiffany immediately recognized it. _If that's Kalana, then that must mean…_

"Super Wave Smasher!" Tiffany jumped back as a wave of water struck the Dark Warlords, pushing them away from Tiffany.

Sage, Cye, and Kento jumped in front of Tiffany, weapons poised and ready. "Are you three ok?" Tiffany asked, glancing at each one.

"We're fine," Sage answered, glancing at her. "You?"

Tiffany shrugged. "Could be better." She winced, losing her balance a bit. Kalana stood next to her, ready to be used as an anchor if Tiffany needed it.

Sage narrowed his eyes at this then turned his gaze towards the Dark Warlords, who were shocked by their presence.

"How did you escape?!" exclaimed Sekhmet.

"This 'damsel' had a few tricks up her sleeve," commented Tiffany, smirking at him. "What are you going to do now? Call Talpa to come save you?" The Dark Warlords glared at her.

"Let's actually send them back to Talpa," Cye said. "I'm sure he'll love to hear how we got free."

"And get some payback," added Kento. He raised his naginata. "Iron Rock Crusher." He spun it around then sharply pointed it at the Warlords, the ground splitting open and boulders flying towards them.

Sage raised his nodaci in the air. "Thunder Bolt Cut!" He swiped his sword across his chest, sending an electrical sure-kill towards the trio.

Cye pointed his yari at the Warlords. "Super Wave Smasher!" The same wave of water launched at the Warlords.

Tiffany combined her swords, transforming it into a bow then pulled the string back. An arrow appeared in it and it started gathering energy. "Moonlight typhoon!" She released the arrow and a column of light blasted forward and, combining with the other three sure-kills, struck the Warlords head on and sent them flying a good few miles away from the group. The dust had cleared and nothing was in their path.

"That felt good," Kento stated, spinning his weapon around.

"I'm…glad." Tiffany smiled at them, her body swaying a bit before falling but before her body could hit the ground, Kalana leapt in front of her, letting Tiffany fall onto her back. Sage knelt in front of her, placing a hand on Tiffany's head. His hand started glowing green as did Tiffany's body and when the glow disappeared, Tiffany smiled at Sage. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Are you going to be ok?"

Tiffany slowly got up and Cye walked over to her, helping her to stand. Tiffany smiled at him then turned to Sage. "I think so. Let's find Ryo and Rowen and then we can regroup and rest a bit."

"What do you mean find?" Cye asked.

"We got separated. I don't know where they are but I hope they are ok."

* * *

Ryo blocked another one of Kayura's attacks, pushing her back. Rowen aimed another arrow at her and fired but Kayura quickly dodged it. "Come on, boys. You got to be a lot quicker than that in order to catch me."

"Damn, she's fast," said Ryo.

"We can't touch her," agreed Rowen.

Kayura chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I'll slow down a bit so you can get in a few good hits before I take you to Master Talpa."

"We aren't going anywhere, lady."

"Don't worry, you'll be with your captured friends alongside the Priestess."

Ryo froze. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you think splitting you up was a coincidence. By now, the Warlords are probably using her as target practice."

Ryo's anger rose to new heights as he imagined what they were probably doing to Tiffany. "I swear, if I find that they did anything to her, I'll send them all straight to hell!" Both Kayura and Rowen were startled by Ryo's outburst but Kayura was far more interested in this than surprised. _He must have feelings for the Priestess._ Kayura smirked. _Master Talpa would love to hear this._

An arrow flew out and grazed Kayura's cheek, making her screech in pain. Turning around swiftly, she glared at Tiffany and Kalana coming towards but her anger turned to astonishment when she saw Sage, Cye, and Kento running next to her. _How did they escape?_ They stood next to Ryo and Rowen, weapons ready. Kayura glared at them and raised her weapons when she heard, _Return to me, Kayura._ "Yes, Master," she whispered. Sheathing her swords, Kayura smirked at the Ronin Warriors then disappeared into thin air.

"Come back here!" yelled Kento.

"Let her go, Kento," Sage said.

"Are you three ok?" asked Rowen.

"Yeah, Kalana was able to free us and we somehow got our strength back," answered Cye.

"You're welcome," Tiffany said.

"You?! But…you…how…" Kento stammered, trying to figure out what Tiffany did.

"Don't hurt yourself, Kento," joked Rowen which made the group start laughing and Kento glared at him.

"Tiffany, you ok?" Ryo asked when he noticed she was leaning heavily on Kalana.

"Just a little tired, but I'll be ok." Tiffany waved him off. However, Ryo walked over to her and picked her up. Tiffany was happy her mask was up so that he couldn't see her blush. "Ryo, I'm fine."

"I'm not taking any chances." He carried her over to White Blaze, having her sit on the tiger's back and then sat behind her. Tiffany was sure her face was as red as Ryo's armor right now and was _really_ happy he couldn't hear her heart breathing rapidly against her chest. "Breathe," Ryo whispered into her ear and Tiffany released a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Let's find a place to rest."

"I think there was a cave we passed on the way here," said Cye.

"We should hurry before Talpa decides to send in the armada."

"I'll lead," Sage said, taking off in the direction they just came from, the group running after him.

When White Blaze started running, Ryo subconsciously wrapped his arms around Tiffany to keep her from falling. Realizing what he had done, he started to shift his arms away but stopped when he felt Tiffany's hands cover his. He smiled, moving one hand to place over hers, giving it a gently squeeze. He then realized something after doing this act. _I'm falling hard for Tiffany._

* * *

 **Two more chapters! Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**To be honest, I had this chapter already done weeks ago but I failed to publish it. I also have the next chapter published so I will have one more chapter left to do.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors. All OCs belong to me.**

* * *

Chapter 15

The Ronin Warriors found the cave that Cye had mentioned and they walked inside, going a few feet into the cave so that they wouldn't be discovered in case Talpa sent his Warlords or Kayura to find them. They spotted a river running next to the path they were walking and decided to rest next to the river.

Ryo got off White Blaze and then helped Tiffany down. "Do you want to sit next to Kalana?" He asked her.

Tiffany shook her head. "I'm fine." She then glanced at the river, an idea popping into her head. "Just leave me here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Ryo left her by the river, going over to sit with his friends. Tiffany turned to the river and then raised her hand. A column of earth shot out of the water, encasing some of it inside. Tiffany held her hands up together then spread them apart to make the column wider, stopping when she was satisfied with the size. She made another column of earth next to the river's edge, connecting it to the column in the river. She then shed out of her armor, reverting to her clothes.

"Um...Tiffany, what are you doing?" Kento asked with the others giving her a questioning look.

Ignoring him, Tiffany stepped into the column that was on land. Kalana sat in the place Tiffany once stood, glaring at the warriors. Tiffany stripped out of her clothes, placing them in a pile on the floor. She walked over to the makeshift tub, placing a foot in but jerked it back, letting out a small yelp in surprise.

"Everything ok?" asked Rowen.

"The water's just cold," Tiffany called back.

Realization came upon the guys and they each blushed right red, figuring out that Tiffany was going to bathe in the river. White Blaze walked over to Kalana and sat down next to her. Kalana huffed in appreciation then lowered herself to the ground, laying her head on her paws.

Tiffany held her hand over the water, tilting it to and fro, and the water started bubbling, steam slowly rising. After a minute, Tiffany stopped heating up the water then stepped in, smiling in satisfaction that the water was much warmer than before. She lowered herself in, sighing in content as she felt her body relax. _Just what the doctor ordered,_ Tiffany thought to herself, closing her eyes. "I'm going to be here for a while," Tiffany called out. "I suggest you five discuss what our next move is so we aren't wondering when I come out."

"She's got a point," said Sage.

"My main thing right now is are you sure you three are ok?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, you seem ok with what you probably went through," commented Rowen.

"The only thing Talpa really did was drain our armors' power," started Sage. "He kept us chained up in these statues. We didn't see the Dark Warlords or Kayura and Talpa only visited us once, saying he was going to use us to capture you two and Tiffany."

"What do you mean?"

"He used the power he drained from us to make copies of our armor. I don't know how he was able to do it, but he somehow pulled it off."

"It took a toll on us," inserted Cye. "I'm pretty sure we all passed out after he did that."

"But you feel fine now," Rowen stated.

"I remember feeling my strength coming back to me and then seeing Sage help me out of the statue," answered Kento. "I don't know how I got my strength back but all I knew was that I was finally free."

"What happened to those armored copies?" Ryo wondered. "Are they still around?"

"I defeated them," Tiffany spoke out. "I took the power out of the soldiers and sent the power back to you three."

"You fought them along with the Dark Warlords?!" Cye exclaimed.

"No wonder you looked so tired," stated Sage.

"I was more pissed than tired."

"What did they do?" Ryo asked.

"They were assuming I couldn't handle the fight, saying I needed you guys to rescue me."

Kento opened his mouth to say something but a warning look from Ryo and Sage along with a shake of the head from Cye and Rowen made him shut his mouth.

Tiffany stared at the water around her, sitting in silence for a while. She then cupped her hands underneath the water, bringing it up to splash her face. She quickly washed her body and then stood up, stepping out of the water and onto land. Standing still, Tiffany pointed her finger up and a gust of wind blew around her, drying her body and her hair. She got dressed then stepped out of the column, dropping both the columns on land and in the water. Tiffany walked over to the guys and sat down next to Ryo with Kalana and White Blaze following her. Kalana sat behind Tiffany so she could lean against her while White Blaze sat in-between Ryo and Kento. "All right, I'm out, what's the plan?"

"We should rest up first," Ryo started. "We all came from big battles and we need to gather our strength before we got after Talpa."

"But what about after that? We can't just walk around and say, 'here we are!' We need to think about this."

"We can launch a surprise attack," suggested Cye. "Talpa doesn't know where we are and he probably thinks we are still in the courtyard somewhere."

"But wouldn't that be redundant," stated Sage. "If he knows we're still here, then it wouldn't be a shock if we attack."

"If we wait long enough, then it might come as a surprise when we do attack," Rowen said. "But like Ryo said, we do need to rest. We've been through a lot since we arrived here and I'm sure you four need to rest." Rowen referred to Sage, Cye, Kento, and Tiffany.

"Don't need to tell me twice." Kento laid down on his back, putting his hands behind his head. Sage and Cye laid down on the ground as well while Tiffany leaned against Kalana. The wolf curled around her mistress's body, its tail draping across Tiffany's waist. The four warriors quickly fell asleep while Ryo and Rowen stayed awake, keeping watch, and Ryo kept glancing at Tiffany every now and then.

"You care for her deeply, don't you?" Rowen stated, observing the scene between his leader and Tiffany.

"What?!" Ryo sputtered, his gaze snapping towards Rowen.

"Tiffany. You've fallen for her." It was more of a statement than a question.

"How did you-"

"When we fighting Kayura earlier, you changed after Kayura mentioned what the Warlords might have done to Tiffany."

"I was worried about her."

Rowen raised an eyebrow, staring Ryo down. Ryo sighed. "Yes, I've fallen for her." Ryo glanced over at Tiffany. "I love her."

Rowen placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder which made Ryo turn towards him. Rowen gave him a small smile. "Don't wait to tell her then."

"That's just it, though. I don't want Talpa to know."

"From what you did today, I think he already knows."

Rowen was right; Talpa would somehow know that Ryo was in love with Tiffany and try and use it against him. "If you want to wait to tell her how you feel until after the battle with Talpa is over, I understand. But don't wait too long and you better take care of her." Rowen smiled at Tiffany. "She's like a sister to me."

"I would never hurt her."

Rowen nodded. "Do you think you can take down Talpa with the Inferno armor?"

As Ryo and Rowen talked about their battle plans, they were unaware that Tiffany was awake and that she heard everything the two had discussed.

* * *

"How could you have failed?!" Talpa screeched at his Warlords, who were avoiding eye contact with him. "There were six of you against the Priestess and neither of you were able to capture her?! And what's worse, Sage of the Halo, Cye of the Torrent, and Kento of Hardrock are free from their prison! How did this happen?!"

"The Priestess was an admirable foe, Master," Dais started, averting his eyes. "We didn't think she would be that strong."

"That isn't a good excuse! There were six of you against the Priestess and all of you failed to capture her! If Lady Kayura comes in without the Ronins, then I'll be even more pissed."

Just then, the doors to the throne room opened and Kayura walked in.

"I hope that you have Ryo of the Wildfire and Rowen of the Strata to replace the ones we lost."

"I did not Master Talpa-"

"Failures! None of you were able to capture the warriors and three of them have escaped!" Talpa sighed, his armored hands clenching the arm rests of his throne.

"But, Master, I-"

"Get out, all of you." The Warlords and Kayura left the room quickly, not wanting to face Talpa's wrath in case he decided to punish them. Talpa remained seated on his throne, not moving at all. He couldn't believe his three Warlords or his best fighter was able to capture the last two Ronin Warriors or the Priestess. And now, the warriors he had captured were free. This worried Talpa a bit; he knew that victory was not on his side at this moment.

Badamon appeared in the room, then. "Master Talpa."

"What is it, Badamon?"

"I have a plan to get the nine armors," Badamon said, floating into the room.

Talpa looked up at him. "What is this plan you speak of, Badamon?"

"We can lead the Ronins and the Priestess to a trap, where we can use the Neither Spirits' power to get the nine armors."

"And how do you expect to get the ninth armor? We only have eight as we speak."

"Do not worry, my Lord. I have a feeling Anubis will come to the Dynasty."

"How can you be sure?"

Badamon smirked evilly. "With what this plan of mine entails, I'm positive he will come."

* * *

Back at the mansion, Mia was looking up information on her computer about the Ronin Warriors or about the Dynasty itself. Yulie was standing off to the side, reading books about mythical armor and trying to make sense of it all. Anubis stood next to Mia, peering over her shoulder to look at her grandfather's notes. The room was quiet; no one was speaking. Yulie broke the silence by asking Mia, "Are the guys ok, Mia?"

Mia turned away from the screen to look at him. "I'm sure they're fine, Yulie. They can take care of themselves." Turning her attention back to her screen, she saw something pop up and clicked on it. An image appeared of what appeared to be a nine-point symbol with something written in the middle of it.

"That symbol," started Anubis. "we must find out what it means. I've seen Talpa use this."

Mia glanced at him then clicked on the symbol. She typed away on her computer, getting as much information as she can about this symbol, mostly trying to decipher what the written passage was. She looked through all her grandfather's notes to try and figure out what language it was written in.

"Did you figure it out, Mia?" Yulie asked.

"I think so. The passage says, 'The nine armors combined with the one who is pure will unleash a power not known to man.' I don't know what that means, though. I know the nine armors are the Ronin Warriors and the Dark Warlords but the one who is pure? Who could that be?" Mia reread the passage over in her head many times but nothing popped up.

Anubis read over the passage, focusing in on each word. Something in the back of his head was telling him something wasn't right. His eyes were trained on the words 'one who is pure' and the wheels in his head were turning, trying to figure out what that sentence meant.

The staff he was holding started glowing then. Looking down at it, an image of Tiffany's appeared to him and Anubis's eyes widen. _The one who is pure is the Priestess…it's Tiffany!_ Anubis rushed over to the balcony, ignoring Mia and Yulie's questioning statements. He raised his staff into the air, focusing in on the Jewel of the Life and, when the jewel's power was found, the staff lit up and surrounded Anubis, transporting him to Tiffany's location. Mia and Yulie were left at the mansion, staring at the spot he once stood.

"Are the guys in trouble?" Yulie asked, looking to Mia.

Mia glanced back at her computer, her eyes resting on the phrase, 'the one who is pure.' _Is that…_ "I don't know, Yulie," Mia lied. She had concluded that Tiffany was the one who was pure and she realized if Talpa knew about this, then he would have already started this plan. If that was the case, the Ronin Warriors were in trouble.


	16. Chapter 16

**Please read the chapter before this one. You'll miss important information.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors.**

* * *

Chapter 16

Ryo laid on his back, hands behind his head, as he stared at the roof of the cave. He was thinking of the battle they were going to face. They were on the Dynasty's territory and while they were on their territory in their last battle, this one was different. The layout had completely changed and it was something the Ronins were not familiar with.

He then heard someone moving and turned his head to the left to see Tiffany slowly getting up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other.

"How are you feeling?" Ryo asked.

"Better," Tiffany answered. "Did you get some sleep?"

"Just enough to feel rested."

Tiffany nodded, glancing over the four sleeping Ronins. "Can we talk alone. I don't want the guys to hear this. White Blaze and Kalana will still be here."

"Sure." The two got up and walked towards the entrance of the cave. Not far enough to be discovered by soldiers but enough to be away from the group. "What's up?"

Tiffany stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Ryo. "I…I heard what you said…to Rowen." Ryo's eyes widen; he didn't think Tiffany was awake when Ryo stated his confession to Rowen. "I understand if you want to take back what you said. You were probably forced to say it to get Rowen off you-" Tiffany was silenced by Ryo's lips upon hers. At first, she was shocked by she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Ryo's neck. Ryo, in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The kiss ended quickly, both of them pulling apart. Ryo smiled at her, stroking her face with his thumb. "I meant every word I said."

Tiffany smiled at him, moving her arms down and placing her hands on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." They leaned in to kiss again when a bright light shown outside the cave. The two turned towards the entrance and Ryo shifted Tiffany behind her, protecting her from whatever was at the entrance of the cave. Tiffany grabbed Ryo's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, then started walking towards the entrance with Ryo in tow; they were cautious the closer they got. They then heard footsteps and the pair stopped, getting into a fighting stance. The outline of a person soon revealed itself to the warriors and, once it was closer, they visibly relaxed.

"Anubis," Tiffany sighed. "You startled us."

"I'm sorry, Priestess."

"You don't have to be so formal with me. You can call me by my first name."

Anubis nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Ryo wondered.

"I've seen something that Talpa plans to do. It involves you, Tiffany."

"Me?" Tiffany pointed at herself and Ryo turned to her. He turned back to Anubis, his gaze hardening. "What does he want with her?" Ryo growled. Tiffany placed a hand on his shoulder standing close to him.

Anubis glanced between the two. A smile played on his lips when he figured out what was going on between the two. "If it is all right with you two, I'd like to speak with Rowen as well. It affects all of you."

"Sage, Cye, and Kento are with us as well," Tiffany said. "Does this affect them as well?"

Anubis nodded. Tiffany and Ryo led Anubis back to their camp. Once there, the others were up and talking amongst themselves. The four noticed the trio when they walked in and they smiled at Ryo and Tiffany but when they saw Anubis, Kento jumped up from the ground along with Sage and Cye. "Anubis," snarled Kento.

"Wait, Kento, it's not what you think!" Ryo exclaimed. "Anubis is on our side now."

"Our side?"

"How do you know he can be trusted?" Sage asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He wields the Ancient One's staff," Tiffany answered. "I knew Kaos wouldn't give his powers to anyone he felt was unworthy." Tiffany led Anubis over to a spot, helping him to sit down on the ground next to her. Ryo sat down next to Tiffany and everyone else sat back down, staring at Anubis. "What do you need to tell us?"

"There is a plan Talpa is going to use against all of you and it also deals with Tiffany."

"What is this plan?" asked Rowen.

"I don't know all the details but I do know it deals with the nine armors and the Priestess. From what I saw from Mia's computer, the description said, 'the nine armors combined with the one who is pure will unleash a power not known to man.' I don't know what this new power is but I'm worried about this new power Talpa wants to unleash."

"Do you have any idea of what this power could be?" Cye asked.

"I have no idea. When I was his Warlord of Cruelty, I saw symbols of this plan but Talpa never fully explained it."

"So it could be anything?" asked Sage.

"Yes."

"We would have to be careful going into this battle," observed Ryo. "Talpa could have traps set out for us."

"He won't capture us a second time," swore Kento, raising his fist into the air. "His army is going down, along with the Warlords and that lady."

Tiffany winced at his words, looking down at the ground. She heard the guys talking amongst themselves but ignored them, finding her hands to be interesting. Tiffany knew that if she didn't do anything, she would lose her sister forever. She knew she had to do something to free Kayura from Talpa's hold. Then, an idea popped into her head. "Anubis, I need your help," Tiffany stated, turning to him.

"What is it?"

"I need you to help me free Kayura."

"Free her?!" Kento exclaimed. He scoffed at Tiffany. "Free her from what?"

"Talpa has her under his hold and I have to free her."

"How do you know she's under his hold and she didn't go to him on her own free will?" asked Cye.

"She was taken from home. I know she was forced to follow Talpa."

"And you know this how?" Sage questioned.

"Because I was there; I saw it happened."

Silence was in the cave. Ryo grabbed Tiffany's hand, rubbing soothing circles on the back of her hand.

"You knew her?" asked Kento.

Tiffany nodded. "Kayura's my sister; I saw the Dynasty take her away when I was twelve." Tiffany shook her head to get the memory out of her head; she wasn't going to start crying over this. She turned back to Anubis. "I think with the Ancient One's staff and the Jewel of Life we can free Kayura from Talpa's hold."

"We can help too, Tiffany," said Rowen.

"No, I have to do this."

"Why is Anubis tagging along then?"

"Because he has the Ancient One's power and Kayura and I both came from his clan."

"So you want us to sit back and do nothing?" Ryo questioned.

"No, you five can go after Talpa. With Talpa distracted, I think it will be easier for Anubis and I to free Kayura." Tiffany smiled at Ryo. "I have to do this."

Ryo stared at her for a bit then slowly nodded. "Ok."

Tiffany smiled at him then turned to the others. "Does this work with everyone?"

"Right. We'll go after Talpa while you and Anubis go after Kayura," confirmed Rowen.

"Let's get going then." Everyone got up and headed towards the entrance of the cave. Ryo peered around outside, seeing no guards around the area. "The coast is clear," he stated then turned to Tiffany. "Be careful."

"You too." Tiffany smiled then mouthed 'I love you' with which Ryo mouthed back to her. Tiffany, Anubis, and Kalana ran in one direction while the guys and White Blaze ran towards Talpa's castle.

* * *

Talpa was sitting in his throne room, tapping his fingers against the arm rest of his throne. Badamon floated in, bowing before Talpa. "My Lord, everything is set."

"Good. And the Warlords don't suspect anything?"

"No, My Lord. They will be just as surprised as the Ronins."

"What about Anubis?"

"He is here. I sensed his power earlier."

A soldier burst into the throne room and ran up to Talpa, kneeling before him. "Master Talpa, the Ronin Warriors are on their way here!"

"All is falling into place," commented Badamon.

"What of the Priestess and Anubis?" Talpa questioned.

"We didn't spot them."

"Find Lady Kayura and tell her I command her to find the two and bring them to the courtyard."

"Yes, master." The soldier hurried out of the room.

"You'll soon have the nine armors, my Lord, then the mortal world will be yours."

* * *

Anubis and Tiffany were running away from the castle, wanting to be as far from Talpa as possible, when Dynasty soldiers suddenly appeared in front of them. The two stopped in their tracks while Kalana growled at them.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Anubis and Tiffany turned around to see Kayura standing in front of a row of soldiers. Her swords were already drawn, the tips pointing at the ground. "Everyone is gathered at the courtyard; you should be over there."

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at her then took out her swords. Anubis raised his staff but it suddenly started glowing, floating into the air. A bright light shown, revealing an armored helmet. As it floated down, Anubis realized it was the helmet to his armor of Cruelty.

"The Ancient wants you to don the armor, again," commented Tiffany.

Anubis put on the helmet and his armor appeared on him again but the helmet was removed after his armor was on. "You ready Anubis?" Tiffany asked under her breath.

"Yes."

"Kalana!" The wolf jumped at the soldiers behind the two while Tiffany and Anubis charged at Kayura and the remaining soldiers. Tiffany slashed her sword at Kayura, who blocked it with her own. The two started dueling each other, a fury of swords clashing against each other filled the air as they attacked each other. Anubis swung his chain at the soldiers, knocking them down and cutting down others with his sickle. He suddenly saw something fly past him only to realize it was Tiffany falling to the ground a few feet behind him.

"Tiffany!"

"Keep your attention on me, Anubis!" exclaimed Kayura, charging towards him. Anubis raised the sickle, blocking Kayura from striking him. He pushed her away from him then swung his sickle at her but she jumped away from the strike. Kayura went to attack again but she was tackled to the ground by Kalana. The wolf growled at her then raised her claw but Kayura used the hilt of the sword to hit Kalana in the jaw. Stunned, Kayura used the opportunity to knock Kalana off of her. As she was getting up, Tiffany charged into Kayura, knocking her back on the ground. Kayura rolled out of the way of Tiffany's strikes then charged back at her.

"Kayura, please stop this," begged Tiffany. "I know this isn't you."

Kayura smirked. "You know nothing about me." Kayura raised her swords in the air. "Star Storm Scream!" She sent her sure-kill towards the trio, sending them flying.

* * *

The guys were making progress destroying the soldiers in their way. They had donned their armors once they entered the fight; not wasting any time fighting them in their sub-armors. But as the warriors kept on destroying something, they started realizing something.

"This is too easy," Cye commented as he destroyed another soldier.

 _What is Talpa up to?_ Ryo wondered. _He wouldn't let us waltz into his castle like this._ Ryo was knocked out of his thoughts with a sword swinging at him. He dodged it just in time then cut the soldier down with his katana then ran at another soldier, cutting him down as well. _I've got a bad feeling about this._

"Ronin Warriors!" The group stopped fighting to see the Dark Warlords standing on top of a building. They jumped down, landing in front of the army of soldiers. The Ronins prepared themselves and each side was still; no one moved. Then, out of nowhere, both sides charged at each other. Sage, Cye, and Kento fought with the Warlords while Ryo, Rowen, and White Blaze took down the soldiers.

From above the castle, Badamon watched as the fight slowly got closer to the trap he created. _It won't be long now,_ Badamon thought, a smirk spreading across his face. He floated down to the trap, going to tell his Neither Spirits to get ready.

* * *

Tiffany avoided another sure-kill aimed at her. She was getting tired of all this dodging and she hadn't laid a single blow on Kayura. Tiffany also realized they were getting closer to the castle the longer they fought. She needed to set Kayura free and fast.

"How much longer can you keep this up, Priestess?" Kayura taunted.

Tiffany narrowed her eyes at Kayura. She decided she was going to try and purify her. It would be a risky move for she has never attempted to purify a human before and she knew it would take most of her strength so she only had one shot. "Anubis, can you distract her for me?" Tiffany whispered. "I have a plan but I need to catch Kayura by surprise for it to work."

"I have an idea," stated Anubis. He jumped into the air, twirling the chain around. "Quake with Fear!" He threw the chain at the ground and it pierced through it. The ground trembled and then chains broke through the earth, wrapping themselves around Kayura. Tiffany ran over to Kayura, placing two fingers on Kayura's forehead and her other hand over her heart. "Kiyomemasu!" A bright light surrounded Tiffany and the light expelled into Kayura. Becoming one, Tiffany felt the evil that ran through Kayura. Tiffany tried to fight off the demons controlling her but there was something she didn't expect; there was a shield of some sort preventing her from helping Kayura. The evil overwhelmed Tiffany and she was pushed out. Tiffany fell back to the ground, trying to catch her breath.

Anubis helped her up to a sitting position. "Did you…?"

Tiffany shook her head. "Something is blocking me from helping her. I couldn't free her."

Kayura broke the chains ensnaring her, smirking down at them. "Your trick didn't work, Priestess. So," Kayura cross her swords, "Are you ready to give up?" Tiffany and Anubis glared at her, not saying anything. "So be it. Star Storm Scream!" The sure-kill struck them full force.

* * *

A loud explosion was heard and everyone turned their attention to the noise to see debris flying through the air.

"Tiffany!" cried Ryo. His anger flared, turning his attention back to the army. Combing his swords, he jumped in the air and started twirling them. "Flare Up Now!" He sent the sure-kill towards the army, obliterating everything in its path. When the dust cleared, all the soldiers were gone and only the Warlords remained.

"It's time to end this," declared Kento. "Iron Rock Crusher!" He spun his naginata around a few times then pointed it at the Warlords. The ground split open and large boulders flew at the Warlords, sending them flying through a wall. The guys followed the Warlords, running through the hole in the wall. The Ronins prepared to fight but, before they could attack, each Ronin found that they couldn't move. Suddenly, their bodies acted against their own will. Their arms were spread apart and their feet were placed together.

Ryo looked at his wrist and saw blue light wrapped around his wrist, tying him to a post. He glanced down at his feet to see the same blue light wrapped around his ankles.

"What the hell?!" Ryo looked up to see the same thing happening to the Warlords.

"What is this?!" exclaimed Dais, struggling against his binds.

Badamon floated into the center of the circle. "Do not worry, Dais. You're helping Talpa complete his task."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Sekhmet.

"You were only a means to get the nine armors in one place. Nothing more."

"After serving Talpa all these years, this is the thanks we get?!" exclaimed Cale.

Badamon chuckled. "Do not worry, Warlords. You'll help Talpa gain a power to destroy the mortal world and make it his own." Badamon turned to the Ronins. "As for you…"

White Blaze jumped at Badamon, swiping his claws at the High Priest but Badamon easily avoided it. Narrowing his eyes at the tiger, Badamon chanted a spell that ensnared White Blaze in blue chains, holding him to the ground. White Blaze roared, struggling to get out of his bindings.

"Now we just need Anubis and the Priestess."

Just then, an explosion occurred and two figures flew into the area. Anubis slowly got up while Tiffany found herself struggling to stand. Ryo saw this and he lurched forward, wanting to help her.

Kayura calmly walked into the area, smiling at Badamon. "You were requesting these two, Badamon?"

"Yes, Lady Kayura." Bindings shot out and grabbed Anubis, pulling him over to his post. "Now, for you, my Priestess."

"Don't you fucking touch her!" growled Ryo.

"What's wrong, Wildfire?" Kayura asked. "Do you not want anyone to touch your lover?"

Both Ryo and Tiffany froze while everyone else stared at the two.

"So Wildfire and the Priestess are in love?" Talpa's voice rang out. He appeared in the courtyard, staring down at the two. He started laughing. "Well, let's not keep them separated. Badamon, finish the ceremony."

"Yes, my Lord." Badamon reached for Tiffany but he was knocked away from Tiffany by Kalana. The wolf stood over Tiffany, growling at Talpa.

"You stupid beast!" Kayura exclaimed, swinging her sword at the wolf. Kalana bit down on the sword, pulling it out of her grasp and then swiped her claw at Kayura, scratching the amulet. Badamon's eyes widen. "No!" He chanted a spell and chains wrapped around Kalana, pulling her over to White Blaze.

Tiffany caught this exchange and focused her gaze on the amulet around Kayura's neck. Thinking back to when she tried to purify her, she wondered if the amulet was the wall preventing her from helping Kayura. _Only one way to find out_. Using the remaining strength she had, Tiffany charged at Kayura and knocked her to the ground. She ripped the amulet away from Kayura's neck then repeated the same process she did earlier. Light emerged into Kayura's body and, through her weakened state, Tiffany was able to fight the demons that plagued Kayura's body. The light disappeared and Tiffany collapsed to the ground, not moving. Kayura slowly got up, staring down at Tiffany. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen but Kayura just stayed where she was, not moving.

Badamon started laughing. "You're attempt failed, Priestess. So just accept your fate." Two soldiers came over and grabbed Tiffany, dragging her over to the center. They didn't get far, however; for the soldiers collapsed to the ground in a pile of armored pieces. Kayura stood over Tiffany, a sword pointed at Badamon. "Leave my sister alone."

* * *

 **Kiyomemasu means purify in Japanese. Also, the next chapter will be the last chapter, I swear. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry it's been so long but I had a hard time trying to end this chapter without the fight scene being too rushed. So hope this is good for all of you. Enjoy.**

 **I don't own Ronin Warriors. OCs are mine.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Kayura helped Tiffany up and the Jewel of Life lit up, strengthening Tiffany and producing the Ancient's staff. Kayura grabbed the staff and her outfit transformed. Her armor changed to look like Tiffany's only this armor was silver with hints of red. Kayura raised her staff and bright light shot out, destroying the Neither Spirits holding both the Ronin Warriors and the Warlords. The nine men landed on their feet, heading over to Kayura and Tiffany. Ryo laid a hand on Tiffany's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Tiffany answered, placing a hand over his. Ryo gently squeezed her shoulder then turned to Talpa, drawing his katanas.

"Dark Warlords, why are you siding with the Ronin Warriors?" Talpa demanded, his eyes glowing red. "You should be fighting them!"

"Why should we fight for you?!" exclaimed Dais.

"You were just using us to get the nine armors!" Sekhmet yelled.

"We won't follow you anymore!" confirmed Cale.

"Fine, I'll just destroy all of you!" Talpa brandished his sword at the group and his gaze set on Kayura. "It's a shame that you must be destroyed for you were my favorite. You could have ruled by my side when the Dynasty took over the mortal world."

"You don't control me anymore, Talpa!" yelled Kayura. "And I remember what you did. You took me away from my family and forced me to do you bidding." Kayura narrowed her eyes at him. "We won't let you take over the human world."

Talpa slashed his sword at her, striking the ground where she once stood. He glanced over to see Kayura standing with the Ronins and his former Warlords. Talpa raised the sword, pieces of rubble falling from his sword and back onto the shattered ground below. The soldiers stood behind Talpa as they readied themselves to attack; they were just waiting for the word.

Tiffany glanced around the courtyard, her eyes scanning the area. An idea suddenly came to her and she leaned towards Kayura. "I need you to distract Talpa and his army for me. I'm going to take out Badamon but I need his attention away from me."

Kayura quickly nodded her head and Ryo placed a hand on Tiffany's shoulder, gently squeezing it to let her know he heard her too. The two relayed Tiffany's plan to the others which they understood. Then, all at once, they charged at Talpa and his army.

"Attack!" Talpa commanded, pointing his sword at the group. His army of soldiers advanced upon the warriors, weapons raised and sharp to the point.

When the two sides collided, all that was heard was the sound of swords clashing against each other. Soldiers were falling one by one as the battle raged on but more replaced the fallen ones. It didn't make it any easier for Badamon and his spirits for they were trying to capture the warriors again and the warriors had to avoid any attacks the neither spirits threw at them.

"These spirits are annoying the shit out of me," snarled Cale. He raised his nodaci in the air and black energy crackled around it. "Black Lighting Slash!" He swiped his weapon to the side and the energy shot out towards the spirits, destroying a handful of them.

"You know they are just going to respawn again," stated Dais.

"At least we'll have less to deal with."

"We still have the soldiers though," Sekhmet said, cutting a soldier in half. He took a moment to look at his two comrades. "Don't get distracted by this spirits."

"Then let's start getting rid of these tin cans!" Kento exclaimed, twirling his naginata. "Iron Rock Crusher!" He lowered his weapon, pointing it at a group of soldiers. The ground started shaking and it soon opened, swallowing soldiers into the ground or large boulders flew into others. Dust was kicked up because of his attack and it covered the warriors, making the army stay where they were; no one moved from their spot.

"Arrow Shock Wave!"

A comet-like attack shot through the dust, destroying a column of soldiers in its way. Rowen's sure-kill cleared the dust but before the army could do anything, the warriors charged at them and the fight continued. The warriors had split themselves into two groups; half fighting the soldiers and the other half destroying the Neither Spirits.

Talpa was seething at this point. Half his army was gone and he wasn't any closer to where he once was. Just as he was about to join the battle, he saw movement from the side. Looking over, Talpa saw Tiffany running on the edge of the wall. She stopped and raised her bow and arrow but not towards him. Talpa followed her gaze to see it set on Badamon.

Tiffany was about to release her arrow when she saw something coming towards her from the corner of her eye. Turning towards the movement, she quickly jumped back as a sword hurtled past her, stabbing the ground where she once stood. Talpa stood over her, glaring down at her. "Trying to take out my high priest, Priestess?" Talpa pulled the sword he'd thrown out of the ground. "Not going to be so easy."

Tiffany broke her bow in half, the pieces transforming into two swords. "Then I'll have to get through you first."

Talpa laughed. "Easier said than done." He swiped his sword at her which Tiffany dodged then charged at him with her swords raised. With Tiffany distracted, Badamon focused his attacks on getting the nine armors which was proving to be a challenge. Every time he tried to capture the warriors, they would move and they kept on destroying his spirits. It was at this point he only had one option.

Sage blocked another attack then cut the attacker in half, narrowly avoiding an attack from a spirit. "Shouldn't the spirits be gone by now?"

"What's taking the girl so long?" commented Sekhmet.

Kayura glanced over to see Tiffany and Talpa engaged in combat. "Talpa is fighting her." She hopped over a group of soldiers. "I'm going to help her." She hurried over to the two fighting, stopping near the fight. "Star Storm Scream!" She sent her sure-kill over towards Talpa, hitting him square in the back. While the attack didn't knock him over, it did cause Talpa to stumble forward a bit which caused Talpa to focus his attention on her.

"You and I have some unfinished business to attend to, Talpa."

Talpa screamed in anger and then lunged forward, taking all his attention away from Tiffany. Kayura gave a curt nod towards Tiffany before focusing her attention on Talpa. Tiffany nodded in return then went back to what she had intentionally planned to do.

Badamon and his Neither Spirits were able to get the warriors together in a circle and he and his spirits surrounded the warriors, their arms spread out across their bodies. Badamon started chanting, energy forming in the palm of his hands, when he suddenly stopped and let out a pained scream. His chest started expanding until a bright light shot out, continuing on until the light dispersed. Badamon slowly turned around to see Tiffany on top of a wall, another arrow pointed towards him. "You…little-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," commanded Tiffany, firing the arrow. This one pierced his head and Badamon's body blew up. All of the Neither Spirits released one final scream before they were destroyed. Tiffany smiled at her accomplishment as she lowered her bow but her smile disappeared when she heard an angry cry. Before she could comprehend anything, Tiffany felt something on her back and then she saw the ground rapidly coming towards her. She slammed into the ground which cracked from the pressure. The wind was knocked out of her and she was not given a chance to catch her breath before she felt the same force slam her back on the ground, causing it to crack even more underneath her weight. The thing that was on her back kept her down on the ground, not letting her back up.

"Get off her!" Kayura screamed, running towards Talpa who had Tiffany pinned underneath his foot. Without turning a glance, Talpa swatted Kayura away from him.

"You're going to pay for that, Priestess," growled Talpa, pressing his foot further onto Tiffany's back. Tiffany screamed in pain and her mind couldn't focus for she couldn't breathe. The force of Talpa's foot pressing her into the ground was squeezing her diaphragm, making it harder for Tiffany to get air into her lungs.

"Tiffany!"

Talpa briefly looked over to see the warriors heading over to them. "Do not let them interfere!" Talpa commanded of his army. The remaining soldiers stood in the way of the oncoming warriors, making them fight the army to get to Talpa, who set his gaze back on Tiffany. "It's between you and me now, Priestess. Surrender and I will be merciful or refuse and have your chest and spine crushed." He released a little bit of pressure off her back to allow her to speak.

"I refuse…to surrender," Tiffany let out after catching her breath. "I'm not…done yet."

Talpa's eyes glowed red. "So be it." As he started applying more pressure, a roar ripped through the air. Kalana jumped up at him and her teeth clamped down on his arm, pulling him down with her. This action caused Talpa to release his hold on Tiffany who grabbed onto White Blaze as he ran by. When her mistress was safe, Kalana released her grip and ran back towards the tiger to make sure Tiffany was ok.

The warriors joined her side soon and Kayura helped Tiffany off White Blaze, letting her lean on Kayura while Tiffany slowly started to recover.

"There's nothing let of your army, Talpa," said Ryo. "So why don't you just give up? Right now."

"You think it's over?" Talpa chuckled, raising his sword. "It's not over yet." Black energy from the destroyed army hurried over to Talpa's sword which flowed into Talpa's body, making him grow bigger and bigger until he was almost twenty feet tall. "This world you have fought so hard to protect will now be mine!" Talpa lowered his sword towards the group and they all jumped away at the last moment. When the sword struck the ground, a gaping hole was left in its wake. The warriors knew they had to end Talpa now or else their world will be in danger.

"It's time," Ryo declared, looking at his friends. They all nodded in agreement and sent their powers over to him. Tiffany felt the powers go through her and, after a struggle to keep herself from passing out, sent the power that was needed over to Ryo. Once received, Ryo's Wildfire armor was gone and was replaced with the Inferno armor. White Blaze had transformed into Black Blaze and stood next to Ryo, letting him draw the Fervor swords from their holder.

"The Inferno armor." Talpa stared at it in amazement. "Such power radiants from you. Instead of the nine armors, I'll take that armor for myself!" Swinging his sword at him, Ryo blocked the attack and pushed him back.

"The only way you'll get this armor is if I'm dead!" Ryo spun his katanas around, fire pooling out from them. "Rage of Inferno!" He sent the sure-kill towards Talpa but since he had gained new power from his army, Talpa was able to block it with his sword. Talpa couldn't push the attack back so all he was doing was preventing it from striking him. Ryo knew he couldn't keep this up for long. Once his strength was gone, Talpa will quickly turn the tide on them and send all of his power back on them. Ryo needed more power in order to beat Talpa.

Seeing his dilemma, Tiffany started to send more power towards Ryo. "Don't," Anubis said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're exhausted as is."

"But Ryo needs more power. He can't keep this up."

Anubis stared at her then turned to the Warlords. Almost as if they had the same thought, they all sent the powers of their armors over to Ryo.

"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Kento. "You'll kill him!"

"Wildfire is strong; he'll be able to handle it," Dais calmly said.

Ryo felt the powers of the four armors flood through his body. It overwhelmed him to have so much power but it was just the energy he needed to beat Talpa. Using the new power he received, Ryo unleashed it onto the attack, doubling the sure-kill. Talpa found himself to be pushed back by the power coming at him and saw his sword was cracking from the pressure. Ryo pushed even more power into the attack and that caused Talpa's sword to break and all the power to hit Talpa full force. Talpa's screams were heard over the roar of the fire which slowly destroyed his armored body until there was nothing left. The attack soon faded and Ryo collapsed to the ground, not moving.

His friends raced towards him to make sure he was ok but once there, they all realized one thing: Ryo wasn't breathing.

"Move!" Tiffany shouted, pushing past them. She held up the Jewel of Life and the jewel shown a bright light. The light faded and everyone was still; no one moved or spoke. The longer they waited, the more anxious they got.

Ryo suddenly took in a deep breath then let it out and he started to breath heavily to catch his breath. Everyone released a breath they were holding and his friends smiled at him.

"We thought you were a goner, buddy," Rowen said, extending a hand.

"I thought I was too," agreed Ryo, grabbing Rowen's hand. Rowen helped him up and Ryo reverted to his Wildfire armor, sending the power back to their original owners. Ryo looked at the ex-Warlords. "Thank you for the extra power. I didn't think I was going to be able to pull it off."

"We only did so your girl wouldn't kill herself," stated Sekhmet, looking away.

At the mention of Tiffany, Ryo turned towards her to see tears streaming down her face. "Tiffany?"

"You idiot!" Tiffany screamed, running towards him. She tackled him back to the ground then pounded her fists onto his chest. "I was so scared; I thought you were dead!" Her attacks weakened until her palms were resting on his chest. "I thought I lost you." Tiffany's shoulders shook with sobs and Ryo slowly reached up a hand to cradle her face. "I'm sorry I scared you." Tiffany let out something between a sob and a chuckle then she leaned down and pressed her lips onto Ryo's. They shared a short kiss then Tiffany rested her forehead against his. "Never do that to me again," Tiffany whispered, her eyes shut as she tried to calm herself down.

"I promise." Tiffany smiled then opened her eyes, sitting back up. Ryo smiled back at her. "Can I get up now?" Tiffany shook her head, still smiling, and she got off Ryo and then helped him up.

"It's finally over," commented Sage.

"Talpa and his Dynasty are gone forever," Rowen said.

"What are you going to do?" Cye asked the former Warlords and Kayura.

"I think we'll stay here and fix his place," answered Kayura. "If you haven't noticed, it used to be a beautiful place before Talpa turned it into his own image."

"Before you do that, there's a place I need to take you," said Tiffany.

* * *

The two sisters walked through the forest with Kalana at their heels. The Ronins had gone to the mansion with White Blaze to tell Mia and Yulie the good news while Anubis and the ex-Warlords stayed at the Nether World to start rebuilding.

They reached a small village where people were out and about doing their daily chores. At the entrance of the two, the villagers stopped what they were doing to stare at the girls. Recognition slowly spread across each of their faces and a couple slowly walked towards the girls. A woman with long blue hair and blue eyes had tears swimming in her eyes while a man with brown hair that went to his chin and black eyes had a wide smile across his face. At first, Kayura didn't know who these people were until she realized who they were. "Mom? Dad?"

The woman released a sob then launched herself at Kayura, hugging her tightly. "My baby," the woman cooed. "My sweet baby." She kissed Kayura's head then looked at Tiffany. Tears were in Tiffany's eyes as she smiled at her. The woman brought Tiffany over to join the hug and the man joined soon after. "My beautiful girls," the man whispered then kissed the tops of their heads. "I missed you," Kayura choked out.

"We did too, sweetheart."

Kayura looked over at Tiffany who smiled at said, "Welcome home."

* * *

Up on a hill, a figure over-looked the family reunion. A smile appeared on the figure's face as a lone tear fell down its cheek. "It won't be long until I can see you, my child." The figure turned around and walked back into the forest, long blonde hair flowing in the wind.

* * *

 **To be continued in the next book. Which should hopefully be up by tomorrow.**


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